We Are the Same
by MissMariaWrites
Summary: AU: Caroline lives in a village right on the edge of the woods, a place she had been taught to never step foot in. But how long could that last? Rated M for later chapters.
1. Prologue

**Hey everyone!**

**Quick A/N here: My name is Maria I am brand new to the fanfiction world (but just the writing, not the reading). After going back and forth with myself a little bit I finally decided to put something up, an idea that has been going around in my head for some time now.**

**On with the story: Caroline lives in a village right on the edge of the woods, a place she had been taught to never step foot in. But how long could that last?**

**It will be a mix of Little Red Ridding Hood and Beauty and the Beast, but it will be subtle and it won't dominate the whole story.**

**This chapter will be excruciatingly short, only because I want to introduce the idea to everyone. How fast I put up the next chapter (hopefully today!) just depends on the reviews.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Prologue**

They had told us never to go into the woods. There was no scary name for it like "The Forbidden Woods" or anything like that, like they named them in horror stories told around the bonfire in the village gatherings. But since you were little, you were taught to never go into the woods- unless you never wanted to come out. At first, I didn't question it- when you are young, you tend to do everything adults tell you to do. But the place was so mysterious, that I would be lying if I said that I had never ventured close as the years passed.

I started out just wandering around the edge, when I was around eight years of age, with the pretext of picking flowers or berries or following a small creature. But when I turned 13, whenever my father would have me run errands and it conveniently took me close to the woods, I would try and get as close as possible. One time, I even weaved through a few trees on the edge before a long etched fear creeped up and I quickly returned to the marked path.

Not much has changed. The forest still looks the same as it did ten years ago when I would chase butterflies to it's edge. People still tell their children to avoid the forest at all cost, and children still listen to their elders. But now, as I walk through the marked path that snakes around village, I can only imagine what it would look like passed the thick green foliage. The leaves of the trees probably form a thick canopy, so when the sun is at it's peak in high noon, you can just see the rays creeping through the gaps, but they still offer shade. The soil, untouched by man is probably the most fertile within miles of the village. I could picture myself sitting down against the rough trunk of an old tree, reading a book with only the song of birds and the bristling of leaves interrupting the silence.

I shook my head, clearing my mind of such thoughts. I would never go into the woods. I'm too much of a coward to even pass a few trees.

Noticing that I was so caught up in a daydream that I had stopped walking, I picked up the pace and started heading towards my father's home.

It was not the best home in the village, and we lived about a half a mile away from the bustling streets and shops. But my father had built it with his own hands when he was a young boy, trying to impress my mother. He had laid down every rock and pounded every nail. It was well built and sturdy, yet it was a cozy cabin.

I stepped over a stone bridge that provided passage over a crystalline river. Today, as the wind blew through the countryside, flowers were blown away from their stems and fell delicately on the water's surface, making a trail that went as far as the woods' edge. There must be a lake in there somewhere that the water comes from.

I finally reached the small hill that my home rested on. I walked up the steps and opened the door, putting my basket of bread, cheese, and fruits down on the dining table. My father would be home from work in a few hours, so I would have to get started on my chores.

I made my way to my bed chambers and opened my dresser, finding a ribbon and tying my hair, pulling it away from my face. I grabbed an apron that was hanging on my door and tied it around my waist.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning the house, which consisted of my bed chambers as well as my father's, the sitting room and dining room, the kitchen and finally, father's study. Once I had finished, I started supper, making a broth that would go deliciously with the bread I had picked up from the bakery.

Just as the sun began to set, and the sky started turning all sorts of beautiful colors, a figure appeared on the horizon, making it's way across the bridge and up the steps.

"Oh, daughter!" a gruff voice called out from the front door. I had been sitting in my father's study, reading a book when I heard his voice. I quickly jumped up from his chair and set the book down, running over to the door. I stopped when I saw him taking off his boots and setting them on the floor next to the door mat. He straightened himself again and took off his coat and hat, placing them on the coat rack.

"Father" I said firmly, and we stared at each other with the most serious faces we could muster. But soon, I couldn't help the tugging on the corners of my lips, and I broke into a smile. I ran forward and into his grizzly bear embrace.

"How's my girl today?" He asked, kissing the top of my head and stepping back to get a better look at my face.

"Good; I got some bread from Miranda's bakery and I was able to barter some of my famous blueberry pie for some blocks of cheese."

"Did you give away all the pie?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No. I still have two left." I beamed, proud at the bargain I was able to pull off. He smiled, approving.

"Good job, kid" he said and made his way to the head chair at the dining table. "What's for grub?" He asked rubbing his belly.

"I made some broth, which we can eat with the bread, and maybe some slices of cheese" I said as I started serving two plates of food. I sat down across from him as he tried it out.

"Delicious as always, kid" He said with a big smile, his cheeks puffy because of the bread and cheese. I laughed. We sat in silence.

As I ate, my mind started to drift and I began to think back to the woods. I had lived right across from it for eighteen years and I had yet to ask the most vital question that had been ringing in my mind since the day I was told not to go near it.

When my father began to hint at the fact that it was dangerous to go in there, I had merely nodded my head obediently. But as the years passed, I wished I would have asked for a reason.

"Bill?" I asked, using his name as a sign that the conversation was turning into unwanted territory. I never asked any of the other kids from the village if they ever asked their parents; it seemed that everyone agreed that it was a subject that shouldn't be discussed.

"Yes, daughter?" He asked, still stuffing his mouth, but looking up at me.

"Why aren't we allowed to go into the woods?" I asked, feeling like a child asking as to why the sky is blue.

He tensed visibly. Every muscle in his body rippled and his faced altered. He looked away from me, passed me, anywhere but me. I waited patiently, but after what felt like forever, I began to get impatient and started tapping my foot on the ground, tapping my spoon on my plate.

"Well?" I inquired, trying to get his attention and the answer to my question.

He sighed, placing his elbows in the table and resting his head in his hands. He mumbled something that sounded like "Not today". I continued to wait.

He looked up at me.

"Would you let the subject go if I said that we would talk about it some other time?" He said hopefully, but knew the answer already.

I shook my head. He sighed and buried his face in his hands again.

"It was a very long time ago" He said, his voice muffled. I waited, expecting him to continue, but instead, he got up and walked to his study, pausing at his door "And that's all you should know." He said, walking into his study and shutting the door.

Some time later, I realized that I had been staring at the door for a while, so I got up, picked up my plate, and made myself busy- his words resounding in my ears.

That's all I should know. That's all I should know.

I kept repeating the words, trying to will myself not to be curious, or want to just run into that woods right now and wait for something important to happen to prove what everyone had to fear.

But I did not do it. Instead, I washed the dishes, cleaned up the table and tidied the cabin even more, all the while trying to figure out a way to find out what was so unmentionable about the big bad woods.

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**Love? Hate? Tell me what you think!**

**I have a lot of the chapters mapped out and ready to go. Some of them may even already be written...**

**Bye for now!**

**~M **


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello again!**

**So I got a lot of favorites and follows and alerts with just the prologue which made my day! As soon as I saw that people actually liked the idea I sat down and got busy. I had written this chapter a while ago so I had to do some re-reading, editing and tweaking. **

**So here you go! (As you can see this one is a little lengthy)**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1**

That had been two months ago. Father had been avoiding me as much as he possibly could without raising any suspicion. But I noticed from the first day.

He would usually come home from a long day at work and take off his boots and jacket. Then he would greet me and ask what we would be having for supper. We would talk about our day and discuss things that were going on- our usual father daughter routine. Then he would go into his study, the door always open, and read from his extensive collection of novels. When the sky was black and it was well into the night, he would bid me a goodnight and go to bed, but not before planting a kiss on my forehead and wishing me sweet dreams.

But now, he seemed cold, indifferent, distant. He would arrive home and head straight to his study. If by chance he found me there reading or writing, he would excuse himself for interrupting with the excuse of wanted to know when dinner would be ready.

Sharing a meal with him would prove to be another obstacle. He would take his dinner in his study, or practically inhale it if we were in the same room.

But what hurt the most was that he would bid me goodnight when the sun was just beginning to disappear behind the horizon and proceed to lock himself in his chambers. He would not check on me or wish me sweet dreams.

I blamed myself for the first few weeks, cursing my loose tongue for asking such wild and inappropriate questions. I sat on the floor of my room with a book splayed across my lap, unable to concentrate on the words that were neatly printed on the page in front of me.

Two months. It had been two months.

I stood up and threw the book on my bed, then walked out into the kitchen, grabbing some bread and cheese and tucking it into a basket, walking out into the thick morning air.

It was only mid-August, but the wind would sweep through our village in the morning, creating the effect of the approach of fall. But the leaves were still very green, and the trees were still glowing, the flowers flourishing through the countryside.

I walked to the bridge that was a few ways away from our cottage and stepped around to it's side, where a small slope led down to the little stream. I set myself down as close to the water's edge as possible and started pulling out the cheese and bread, nibbling on each item. I looked down at my reflection, taking in the girl in the stream. She had long, wavy blonde hair that was pulled back into a loose braid. Her big grayish-green eyes shone in the reflection. Her porcelain skin glowed in the morning light.

But she would never be as beautiful as many of the girls in the village. She might glow and shine with confidence (something that her father used to say)- but there were no suitors knocking at her were all at Rebekah's home, the village's most treasured (and wealthy) young woman. She had hair as beautiful as sunshine, and eyes as blue as the sky on the clearest days. She was fair skinned and was always perfectly dressed in the most beautiful gowns. She had a line of men at her door of every age and origin.

Even though she and Caroline shared many physical features, there was something about her that would always have women at her feet begging for friendship, and men at her door.

But she would shoo them away at times, or bask in their attention.

I, on the other hand, spent my days working and cooking and cleaning. The only proper gown I had was my mother's summer dress, which was the most lovely shade of emerald. But I could never bring myself to wear it.

All of my clothing I had made myself, from whatever material I could find at the market.

Suddenly, I heard the distinct sound of a twig snapping. My head shot up towards the sound, only to find a beautiful white rabbit a few feet away. I stood up slowly, so as not to scare it, and walked over cautiously. But I didn't make it far before it bolted away. I followed it.

"Chasing a rabbit" I thought to myself and smiled at the childish nature of my actions.

But soon, I was far less worried about the small furry creature, and more perturbed with the fact that I was literally at the edge of the woods. I looked around, trying to see if anyone was around, but I was alone.

I reached my hand out and stroked the rough bark of one of the trees. I pulled my hand away and tried to pull my thick shawl around myself as much as possible. I took a step.

Then another. And another. And one more.

I was a few feet into the woods already, looking around slowly, feeling as if my heart was going to jump out of my throat. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves, taking some time to look around at my surroundings in detail.

There were trees in all directions, all tall and with greyish-brown trunks. The canopy of leaves was thick and green. There were small flowers emerging from random spots on the ground- and they were beautiful. I laughed at the thought that there would be tiny white flowers in the big bad woods.

I bent down and started pulling at some of the flowers, then settling them into my braid, something my mother used to do all the time.

Once I had finished, I sat down on a fallen log and kept looking around.

Everything was so surreal. Everyone talks about how the woods is dangerous, but they failed to mention that it was so beautiful and majestic. The sun was just above the horizon at this point, and it's rays burst into the forest, giving it light. The dew drops on the leaves created a beautiful effect.

I suddenly got the strange sensation that there were eyes on me. I looked around, trying to find where the sensation was coming from. There was no one outside the woods because I would have noticed- I was only a few feet from the edge.

But this felt strange. A fear creeped through my body and my hairs stood on end. I slowly got up again and made my way to the edge, trying very hard to not look back and get out of there as fast as humanly possible.

I made it out safely, but kept walking, trying to put some distance between myself and the woods. The feeling was still very much prominent, and I tried not to look anywhere but forward as I tried to walk as casually as possible to the bridge, picking up my basket and walking home.

I quickly stepped into the comfort of my home and locked the door, proceeding to drawing all the curtains.

I sunk down onto one of the chairs in the sitting area, trying my best to slow my heart rate.

I could have sworn that someone had been watching my every move, but there was not one soul around for at least a mile. And who would come this far, this early in the day? I closed my eyes and tried to relax, willing my stiff muscles to loosen.

When I opened my eyes, I noticed that I had fallen asleep and it was already late afternoon. I hopped up and started my chores, than starting on dinner.

I never left the house again, and kept the curtains drawn and the door sealed shut. Whenever I would hear a sound, I would jump.

"Calm down, you're being ridiculous" I muttered in an attempt to calm down

As the sun began to set, I started preparing dinner- putting out plates and serving food.

Soon enough the front door creaked open and I heard the sound of boots being settled by the door.

"Good evening, father" I called over my shoulder, turning and setting his plate in front of his seat at the table.

"Good evening" He said without even a glance at my direction, making his way over to his chair and sitting, beginning his task of scarfing down his supper in record time.

I sighed, sitting at my place and starting on my dinner. After an awkward span of silence, I decided I should start making some form of conversation. It was true, he had yet to try to make any form of small talk since that day. But I had also hardly attempted.

"You came home rather late today" I started, staying quiet so as to prompt an answer.

"Yes" Was his his only answer. He grabbed a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Is there any reason as to why?" I pushed.

"Oh, just work" He brushed it off as if it was an insignificant change in his schedule. unfortunately, it did not deter my curiosity. He had come home at exactly the same time everyday for the past six years, never changing. He never took extra shifts, he never took a trip to the not (well, not before coming home for supper first). So coming home rather late was not an insignificant change in his schedule.

"Father," I said, and he finally looked up at me, his eyes masked something. "You have never been one to be late" I finished.

He sat and looked at me for some time, as if pondering what to say next. I could see the internal battle he was facing, a push and pull of whether to elaborate or not. He finally sighed and relented, whipping his mouth with his napkin and putting his fork and knife down.

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.

"We have run out of lumber" He stated, shaking his head slightly.

"Oh" I said, not expecting something so... uneventful.

"Yes, the wood supply is still in good shape for a few more days. Maybe five days at most. It should be enough to keep the houses warm at night and businesses running" He continued.

"I do not see what the problem is" I scrunch my eyebrows and tilted my head, trying to make sense of why this was such a perturbing subject.

"We do not have any more trees from which could obtain any lumber. The closest source we have is about six days worth of travel up north. And that is only the trip there. Returning could take as much as eight days, and that would be making great time." I started putting the pieces together in my head.

"I see" I said.

"Yes"

"And that is the closest alternative? The source that would take a possible two week trip?" I ventured.

"No, there is another option" He stated, his voice dropping low, laced with what seemed like fear.

"What is it?" I inquired.

"The woods" He said quickly, not missing a beat, knowing that if he waited any longer I would still be able to get the truth out of him.

I sat back, taken by surprise by his statement.

"The woods? Why would you need to go into the woods"

"There are certain requirements that a tree needs to meet in order to be sent to the lumber yard. It must be healthy, it must not be too strong, it must not be too weak, and it must not be rare. The trees on the outskirts of the woods are too weak, which is typical. The stronger and healthier trees and a ways into the woods." He finished, suddenly losing his appetite and going up to put his plate away.

I sat and thought for a while. He would have to go into the woods. Not only would he have to go in, he would have to go deep into the woods.

I cleared the table and made my way to his study where he was reading a well worn book, one both he and I were very fond of.

"When do you go?" I asked, leaning against the door frame. He looked up from his book, the candle that had been lit next to him casting shadows on his features, making him look ages older.

"Tomorrow" He said.

"Be safe" I said, feeling my voice hitch slightly.

"Always am" He said, offering me a tight lipped smile and looking down at his book once more, effectively ending the conversation.

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"Hey, Caroline!" A voice called out from behind her. It was faint and almost inaudible. I whipped my head around searching for the source of the sound.

"Caroline!" It was louder now, and she turned to see her friend Elena weaving through the crowd, making her way towards her. She smiled.

"Elena!" She called moving towards her friend. They embraced quickly before turning in the direction she had been walking.

"On your way to see Bonnie?" She asked.

"Yes, I am all out of spices for supper. Winter is coming soon as well and I need some herbs just in case father or I get sick" I said, turning a corner.

"That is true" She agreed "Maybe I should pick something up for Katherine, she hasn't been feeling well lately"

"And you aren't? So the terrible Gilbert twins aren't totally connected? That's a relief I thought you two were practically the same person" I laughed.

"We are not that similar! Yes we look alike but that is probably as far as it goes" She said, sounding like she didn't completely believe herself. Elena and Katherine Gilbert were the only twins in the village. They lived on the opposite side of the village as me with their younger brother Jeremy and her parents Grayson and Miranda. Miranda owned the village's bakery while Grayson worked as a blacksmith along with some other men.

They had grown up together. Caroline's mother had been great friends with Miranda and they spent a lot of time together as well. Caroline met Elena first and they had become instant friends, picking flowers and running around in the meadow that was Caroline's backyard. She then met Katherine a few days later. Katherine was different from Elena- wilder, more outgoing and loud.

They looked identical on the outside, but they were two completely different people. Despite their differing personalities, they always seemed to know what the other was thinking and sometimes didn't even need to talk to understand what the other had to say. It was an amazing feat to watch, albeit annoying at times.

"Sure" I said, rolling my eyes. We had reached the entrance to the Bennett shop. I pushed open the door and walked into the dim room. Old candles lined the shop windows, jars and bunches of herbs were settled on the shelves. Deep, printed rugs adorned the ground while luscious drapes hung along the walls.

"Hey, guys!" Bonnie said from where she had been sitting, tying bunches of herbs together with string.

"Hey, Bon" They said in unison.

"What can I get you?" She said, stepping up to the roll of shopkeeper. Her grams had died a few months before and left the shop to her. Bonnie used to spend a lot of time with Elena and Caroline, but in the past few months she had been absent, needing to take care of her grandmother's shop. That didn't damage their friendship though- they would visit her almost everyday and spend time together, talking about any gossip that had been circling the village.

"I'm just here for some regular cooking spices and some herbal remedies for the winter months" I said, she quickly turned and started opening jars and grabbing bunches of herbs.

"There you go" She said, handing me a small package.

"Thanks Bon" I said with a warm smile. She returned the small and then went to help Elena with whatever she needed. I started walking around the shop, looking at all the different things around the room. It was always fascinating to come in here when her grams ran the store. She would show them different plants and tell them what they did. Her grams was also a fanatic for fantastic stories and always had a new one to tell.

There was a jar that contained a violet flower that caught my eye. I had never seen something like this before, and I had wandered around the shop multiple times.

"Hey Bonnie, what's this?" i said, grabbing the jar and trying to read the label on it.

"That's Aconitum" she said, as I tried to make sense of the scribbles on the label- it definitely did not say that. "Wolf's bane" She said as if reading my mind.

"It's pretty" I said.

"Yes. Hunters use it to kill wolves" She started "But if grams were here, she would tell us the story of how it can also be used to ward away the dangerous lycanthrope"

"The what?" Elena said incredulously from next to her.

"The werewolf. Half man, half wolf. During the full moon they change and lose control of their human morals, ripping apart anything that stands in their way." She said, her voice taking on the same tone as her grandmother's. She shrugged casually, sitting back down and getting to work on some remedies "The wolf's bane is their weakness. Supposedly silver as well."

I opened the lid on the jar and took out a few of the flowers. They didn't smell as good as daisies or tulips, but they looked beautiful. I decided to take some, so Bonnie wrapped them up in a small cloth and handed them to me. I placed it in my basket, along with the herbs and spices Bonnie had given me earlier and book I had purchased for my father.

"Bon, you really are starting to sound like your grams" Elena commented "You reminded me of that time she told us about vampires. What was it that kept them away again?" She racked her brain for the answer, trying to remember the story.

"Vervain and wood" I said off the top of my head "And sunlight, but if they have a lapis lazuli amulet they are immune to the effects of the sun" She elaborated further.

"Wow Care" Bonnie said as Elena stared with wide eyes.

"What?" She laughed "I liked that story"

"Speaking of stories" Elena ventured "What's going on with you and Tyler?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Nothing" Caroline said, turning her head so that her friends couldn't see her blush. Nothing had really been going on. Tyler was one of Caroline's childhood friends. They had spent time together almost everyday since the day they met. He used to be mean, but eventually he warmed up to her and they became best friends. Recently, their dynamic had started to change. There was all this tension all the time- but not in a bad way. She always wanted to look good around him and it felt like she had butterflies in her stomach every time they would meet each other's eyes.

"It doesn't look like nothing" Elena pushed.

"Really nothing has happened, everything is the same as it was a few days ago" She said. They all sighed.

"Well, I have to go. I have a few more errands to run before I have to go home and do my chores and get started on supper" I said, realising it was almost noon.

I started walking towards the door, making my way out before I remembered something.

"Hey," I started, turning to face my long time friends "Have you ever thought of...you know...what it would be like to um...go into the woods?" I asked, my voice fading with every word. I had mentioned this to them. I had mentioned it to Tyler. I had also mentioned it to Matt- a long time friend and at one point crush. I had never said it straightforward like that, but I had hinted.

Each time, everyone's eyes would open wide. Bonnie and Elena had once entertained the idea, playing along with me. But not soon after they were chastising me, telling me it was too dangerous. Katherine, the Wild Child, Gilbert had blatantly refused to talk about it. Tyler had called me a ridiculous little girl, saying that I was out of my mind. Matt had given me a knowing look, understanding my curiosity but still silently conveying the message- it's dangerous, unheard of.

"Caroline, you know it's dangerous" Bonnie said.

"I know people say it's dangerous, but do we really have any proof?" I shot back.

"If everyone is in such consensus that it's dangerous, I don't think we need actual proof. We should trust our elders, Care" Elena said, almost chastising.

"Yes, I know" I said. I was well aware of what everyone was told, what everyone said. But I couldn't be the only one who thought so? There had to be someone else who thought there maybe there was no danger. And if there was...what was it?

I shook my head. You're such a ridiculous girl Caroline I thought to myself.

_You are out of your mind._

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**There it is! Love? Hate?**

**This chapter was a little longer and it was mostly just building up the characters and setting up a base for the plot, but there is still A LOT to come.**

**So what do you guys think about her venture into the woods?**

**Were there any other oddities that you picked up?**

**I'll update soon!**

**~M**

**P.S.: Thank you Aaaammber for the lovely review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello, everyone!**

**I am back with Chapter 2 of We Are the Same.**

**I myself felt like we were lacking a little action in the Prologue and Chapter 1. For those of you who agree with me, this next chapter is gonna get you a little excited. A little.**

_**SPOILER ALERT: We may get to meet someone very important today...**_

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2**

I took my time getting home after I left Bonnie's shop. The only marked path leading out of town and towards the meadow ran dangerously close to the woods, so I found myself only a short distance away from the edge once again. As I walked I examined the trees. They looked like normal trees. It didn't seem too dark in there. There was no mysterious fog and there weren't any eerie sounds coming from it.

It was normal.

Frustration overcame me then. What was so dangerous about it? Why wouldn't anyone tell me! I felt like a child who was left out of their circle of friends. There was some big secret that no one was telling me, and I was going to find out.

Starting with my father.

I continued my trek on the marked path, over the bridge and up to the little hill where my home had been built, all the while plotting my confrontation with my father.

I would do my chores and make dinner, and when he walked through the door I would sit him down and ask all the questions that came up, starting with "What is the bloody deal with this damned woods?!"

And he would listen and he would give me answers- not mysterious and unfinished answers, but concise and detailed answers.

With new determination I began my chores and made dinner-chicken I had been able to barter from the butcher and broth. I set everything up and tidied the house a bit more. When there was nothing left to do, I sat at the dining table and waited.

Judging by the light, my father should have been coming home at any moment. I waited patiently for the door to burst open and for him to walk in and take off his boots and jacket. But it never happened. I dared to look out the window to see if there was anyone coming, but he was not there.

I started pacing back and forth. He was late- again. Yesterday because of the meeting they had held about venturing into the woods to retrieve more lumber. Today he was supposed to actually go into the woods. I looked out the window again. The sun had set and the moon was out and the stars were up in the sky. What if...

There was a knock on the door. I rushed forward and swung it open, but he wasn't there. I was slightly taken aback by the fact that Tyler Lockwood stood on my porch. the butterflies returned to my stomach but for a completely different reason.

He carried an oil lamp with him, and it lit his features. His deep brown eyes were bloodshot, his face was not it's usual olive complexion, his cheeks were flushed.

"Good evening, Caroline" He said politely, trying to even his breathing.

"Good evening" I responded, pulling my eyebrows together. No one was supposed to be outside and this far away from village at this hour. I gestured for him to step inside and he did so, putting his lamp down on a small table in the sitting room and slumping into the sofa. He leaned forward so that his face was buried in his hands.

"Are you alright?" I asked cautiously, walking slowly over to him. There was a slight nagging in my subconscious, telling me that he was not okay, that he wasn't supposed to be here. He was supposed to be at the lumber yard, working.

He patted the space next to him on the sofa and I went to sit down. He turned to me and grabbed my hands in his, stunning me momentarily. I looked up into his eyes which were sad and worried.

"Your father," He began, and that grabbed my attention. I listened intently.

"Your father...went into the woods." He added the last part in a whisper.

"I know, to get more lumber" I said.

He looked at me with wide eyes, tilting his head to one side.

"He told me" I said, figuring out his slight confusion. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, tightening his grip on my hand.

"Caroline" He started calmly, but there were tears forming in his eyes. "You know that whoever goes in there..." He trailed off, trying to convey the rest of the sentence through his eyes, desperately trying for me to get the message.

My body knew the rest of the answer before my mind was able to catch up.

My body was on fire, the burning sensation running all the way from my toes to my ears. Hot tears pooled in my eyes as my lips began to quiver and I struggled for breath. I stayed there as a statue though, staring at Tyler who was letting silent tears stream down his cheeks.

I had never seen him cry. Ever. I wondered why he was crying here with me now. And then it clicked.

"W-Where is your father?" I asked, my voice breaking, his own walls coming down altogether. He had lost his father.

I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck while he placed his own arms around my waist. There, I let the tears fall as the sobs racked my body and he did the same.

* * *

Tyler had stayed the night and slept on the coach into the living room. Once we had cried ourselves dry, I fixed him some supper and he ate in silence while I looked around the room absently. My mind and body felt numb. My father was the only person I had left in the world. We were to stay together forever- a team. But he had gone. He had left me.

I didn't sleep a wink that night. I stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling, silent tears streaming down my face. Every once in while I would open the door slightly and see if Tyler had fallen asleep, and he had. He had been working all day, and the emotional exhaustion from losing his father had worn him out. He tossed and turned frequently, but he never woke up.

A few hours after midnight, I realized that no one would be going out to find the lost workers. They were wandering out there, with no hope of being found, because no one wanted to find them, or had already accepted the fact that they were gone, never to return.

_Whoever goes in, never comes out._

That's why, before the sun began to rise, I pulled on a brown dress of the toughest material I had and a pair of brand new slippers. They were the most expensive slippers I had, but they were new and yet to be worn so they would last longer.

I went into my father's study and opened a chest that was always lying in the corner of the room. It was made of oak, intricate carvings had been worked into the box on all sides. A large, crude metal lock, completely out of place against the beauty box, kept it closed for many years

I knew my father had hidden the key right under the chest, but I had never built up the courage to actually open it, even though I knew what was in it. But now, as I grabbed the key and opened the lock, I couldn't prepare myself for what I would feel once I opened it.

In the chest, lay my mother's belongings. All of her dresses and earrings, and coats and capes, her journals and letters. I tried my best to keep everything as intact as possible, but I dug towards the bottom to find the long red cloak that I was looking for.

It had been a gift from my father to my mother, the day he had began courting her. It was long and made of the softest but most long lasting fabric- a symbol of their love. I quickly folded it and placed it in my bag.

As I passed the kitchen, I grabbed some bread, cheese, and fruits and wrapped them in a cloth, putting those in my bag as well. I grabbed a few packs of herbs and spices from where I had left them the day before, too. Before I left, I made sure to leave a note for Tyler on the kitchen table, explaining where I was going.

Lucky for me, he had journeyed here on his best horse. He would hate me for this.

I mounted the tall black stallion and rode around to the shack behind my cabin. There I found a bow and some arrows, as well as a sword. My father had taught me how to use them when I was younger. He had always wanted a son so he didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to teach his daughter instead. I slung the bow and arrows across my body and put the sword into its leather scabbard, fastening it onto the saddle along with my bag.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon and I didn't want to get caught by Tyler or any of the villagers, so I mounted the stallion again.

"Come on, boy!" I whispered as loud as possible, and kicked my heels into the horse's side. He lurched forward and into a steady trot.

The woods was only about a quarter of a mile away, so I let the horse continue with it's steady trot. I allowed myself to think in the few minutes I would still have out here. I still didn't have a plan. It was amazing I had gotten this far.

How would I find my father? In which direction did he go? Where could he have disappeared to?

I pulled the reins back, making the horse come to a complete stop.

Realizing there was a flaw in my plan, I steered him towards town and kicked his sides once again. Instead of a trot, this time, I urged him go as fast as he could. We rode over the bridge and onto the path that lead into the village. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone up this early in the morning, so no one could have seen the young girl that had hurried through town on a stolen horse as if the Hounds of Hell had been at her heels.

Once I reached the lumber yards, I slowed down. It was a complete ghost town. No one would be there for at least another hour, so I had plenty of time to come up with something. I followed the dirt path that wound around the yards, and came to an end near the edge.

There were wagons slightly filled with cut up logs, very near the edge of the woods. I hopped off the horse and walked over to the area. There were footprints on the soil that covered the floor. A particular pair led to the edge of the forest, and disappeared into the darkness. I walked back to the horse and went for my bag, pulling out the red cape and pulling it over my shoulders. I felt protected immediately, which was kind of ironic considering what I was about to get myself into. I mounted the horse again, steering him towards the forest's edge once more.

I halted when we reached the trees that marked the entrance and I felt him hesitate as well.

"It's alright, boy" I said and leaned over to pat his neck. He started forward once again, and we were passed the trees, into the darkness, into the woods.

* * *

Her scent was so strong, that as soon as she was between the tall trees, I could feel her. She smelled of honey and some other sweet essence I could not name. I couldn't help but follow her scent, and found her lounging around the edge of the woods. She was actually in the woods. No one had dared step foot in here for years, let alone a woman. She had walked forward and sat down on a fallen log, fresh white oleanders placed in her hair, creating a sort of halo around her beautiful, golden locks. As a small breeze blow through, her hair danced in the wind and then settled back down along her back. She let her gaze wander.

By now, I was only a few feet away from her, camouflaged into the foliage, watching as her large, emerald colored eyes took in every detail of her surroundings. She was so beautiful. And as the sun penetrated through the barrier of trees, its rays kissed her creamy skin ever so slightly, that it looked as if she was glowing.

All of the sudden, she looked tense. Her posture straightened and her muscles contracted. She shot up from her sitting position. I tensed as well, watching as she swiftly moved towards the edge once more, looking forward, towards the meadow. I wanted to go after her, grab her and take her back in with me. But by the time I started to move, she was already a step away from the outside. Once she was out into the clearing, I stepped forward to the edge of the woods, and continued to watch as she walked towards the small cabin that had been sitting on a small hill across the river for nearly 20 years.

I had seen her before- playing in the meadow and on the bridge. She was maybe eight years old when she first came close to the border. I had hoped that she would have the courage to actually come in, but she never did. She continued her musings for ten years, one time actually coming in between the trees. But as soon as she stepped in, she stepped out.

I had never been so close to her as I had just a day ago. She was so beautiful. Her angelic face would always be etched into my thoughts, for she had not left my mind for all of these hours.

What surprised me even further was that she had come in again, so soon. This time, she was closer to the village, further away from her home. She was atop a large black horse, wearing a cloak of the deepest shade of red I had ever seen. Her hair hung down in waves over her shoulders, free from any restrains.

Once I had felt her presence, I rushed closer towards her. I was, once again, only a few feet away from her when I noticed that she was carrying a bow and a sword.

Rage coursed through me. I had thought that she had sensed my presence the day before, and had come to investigate. But she was clearly here for other purposes. She was hunting, probably looking for some game, or maybe even...

Something else surprised me. Along with her distinctive scent, I also caught the scent of a male. I looked around and noticed that she was alone, but the scent was very prominent. It was nothing like the scent of the man that lived with her (her father, I presumed), but it was that of a boy that lived in the village.

She had been with him last night. He had stayed in her home.

That was enough to send my mind into a crazed frenzy.

She was not here for me. She was here for him.

If she was so bold and foolish as to come into the woods alone, I would see to it that she found out the stories for herself.

* * *

**What. Did. You. Think?**

**I was a little nervous going into this one because I'm not the best at writing emotional scenes, they always seem too dramatic to me when I write them. I don't know.**

**Now is when it starts to get a little messy because we start getting into the plot and each chapter adds something to the big picture, so I have to be careful what I write. So if you see anything that is kind of confusing or want to point something out please feel free to let me know!**

**So anyways, we got to see a little Forwood here, not my favorite ship but hey.**

**We also see some neurotic Caroline when she plots her confrontation with her father to a T.**

**We also see someone else slowly but surely coming into the picture. I wonder who that could be...**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: A HUGE thank you to DreamsBeatReality and Aaaammber for your lovely reviews and to everyone who favorited and followed this story! You have no idea how much I appreciate it!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone!**

**I'm back with Chapter 3 of We Are the Same.**

**I've been writing and editing a tweaking this chapter since this morning, and when I finished I realized it was super freaking long! So I decided to cut it in two. Now bare with me, it may seem a tad boring but it has it's purpose. I PINKY PROMISE the next one will have some action...**

**Side Note: Anything italicized is a flashback. There are quite a few today.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

We kept going deeper and deeper into the forest and the little light that had been offered by the rising sun was diminishing with every step, filtered out by the dense foliage.

This isn't so bad, I thought to myself. It wasn't nearly as scary as it seemed from the side of the woods was similar to the side I had entered yesterday, except there were no white flowers and the ground was covered with more plants and roots. The trees were tall, the soil emitting the strong scent of the earth mixed with the morning dew. The bushes, plants and leaves were all the deepest shades of green.

I looked around and found that there was a path, not as prominent as the ones in the village, but a path nonetheless. There were boot prints on the path, so I guessed that there had been someone on it not that long ago. I eased the horse onto the path.

After about an hour of being set on the path, I started getting used to my surroundings, and could see the small path without having to concentrate very much.

"I should give you a name," I thought out loud "I mean, I can't go around just referring to you as 'horse' or 'boy'. What did Tyler call you..." I thought out loud as I tried to remember any conversation in which he had mentioned a horse.

* * *

_"Caroline!" he cried as he came running across the meadow and onto the stone steps of the cabin where I sat, arranging some wild flowers into a vase. I turned my head to see Tyler barreling up the steps, his usually neat hair wild and his face flushed._

_"What's the matter?" I asked, standing up quickly and walking over to him, resting my hand on his back as he bent over, placing his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath._

_He straightened up and looked at me._

_"I'm getting a horse!" He said, his face the pure image of joy. Soon I was smiling along with him, his mood infectious. I pulled him into a hug and we both laughed together._

_"You're so lucky!" I said, as I pulled him down onto the steps so that we were sitting side by side._

_"What are you going to name him?" I asked, curious._

_"Well, what if it's a girl?" He answered my question with a question- typical._

_"Oh come on!" I cried and slapped his shoulder playfully "You promised that when you would get a horse it would be a boy and I would get a mare, so that they could be best friends, like us!" I whined. He fell back, laughing._

_"I was just joking! Of course it's going to be a boy!"_

_"So, what are you going to name him?" I asked again._

_"I'm not sure. My father said that it would be a colt from one of the Fell mares. He said that it's coat is black." He said, rubbing his chin, trying to think._

_"Name him Spade" I said conclusively._

_"Spade? Why Spade?" He asked, pulling a funny face._

_"You know, like the Ace of Spades? Like the one on your father's cards" I said._

_"Why not Ace?" He said._

_"Ace sounds funny, but Spade sounds strong" I said_

_"And once you get your mare, you will name her Heart, for the Queen of Hearts." He said and held out his hand for me to shake. I placed my hand in his._

_"Deal."_

* * *

"Spade" I said, and the horse grunted. I smiled, his name was Spade.

"Well, he was smart to keep his end of the deal" I said, patting his neck once more.

After a few more minutes of riding, I saw what looked like a clearing up ahead. It wasn't a clearing though.

Instead I found what looked like semi-cut trees. There were cuts and marks on the side of some of the tree trunks.

"Whoa, Spade" I said and pulled back on the reins, coming to a stop in the center of the mess. I hopped down and went to examine the area.

There was one tree that was completely cut down, and there were others that were pretty close to coming down. I walked around and tried to find any sign that would mean that the lumber workers from my village had been the ones to do this, and that I was on the right track.

Just a few feet away from the fallen tree, I found a discarded saw on the floor. And at the edge of the "clearing", there was an ax that had been jabbed into the ground. I picked it up and swung it back and forth, getting used to the weight. I had never held an ax before, and they were heavier than they looked.

I decided I would take it just in case. Neither swords nor arrows could cut through wood and I would need to collect firewood eventually, so it would come in handy. I walked over to Spade to put the ax into my bag.

The sound of leaves ruffling and twigs snapping echoed through the air. I snapped my head up and looked around frantically, scanning my surroundings in search of the source.

After a moment of silence, there was no more rustling or snapping or any movement for that matter. My muscles were tense. I mounted Spade once again, trying to move as quick as possible, but my movements were jerky and halted as adrenaline coursed through my body.

_Calm down Caroline_ I thought to myself. _There are animals in the woods just like there are in any._

I rode around the edge of the little clearing, looking for a sign of exit. There were broken twigs and snapped branches on one side of the clearing, which could not have been caused by a small animal.

I started following the light trail and soon found a few footprints on another path, similar to the ones I had seen coming into the woods from the lumber yard.

"Come on, Spade" I said as I lightly pressed my heels into his sides, getting him into a slow trot.

After a few hours, when the sun was already beginning to set, I stopped again and decided to set up camp for the night. The idea of sleeping that deep into the woods and alone didn't settle my stomach.

I tied Spade to a nearby tree and grabbed my bag, slinging it over the shoulder. I then started heading North, keeping the setting sun to my left, trying my best to stay on a straight path that I would be able to follow back later on.

I needed to find firewood and hopefully some fruits to eat so that I wouldn't starve. I sighed, looking around for any dry twigs or logs.

I heard the snap of a twig and snapped my head to the side to see the outline of a rabbit. I froze, feeling my stomach rumble with hunger. I had only intended on finding fruit and eating some bread and cheese, but the sight of the animal made me realize that I was indeed hungry. I hadn't eaten in nearly a day, but I was so concentrated on my search that I had hardly noticed the growing pain in my stomach.

_Breathe_ a small voice said in the back of my head. _You know the steps_.

* * *

_"But Daddy I don't want to hunt!" I whined, slouching and furrowing my brow, trying to get my point across "None of the other girls in the village have to hunt" I argued._

_"Caroline-" He began, but our discussion was soon interrupted._

_"Here you go, honey. I made this one special for your trip" My mother said as she entered the room with a brand new dress. It was made with a dark grey fabric and came with matching slippers. It was very simple, but the lace pattern in the front made it look a little more dressy than a regular everyday dress._

_"Oh thank you, Mama!" I said, jumping into her arms for an embrace, then I grabbed the dress and ran into my room, eager to change into it._

_I made a huge fuss about having it smoothed down and having the slippers on having my hair back in a braid, choosing a matching ribbon to tie at the end._

_Soon after, I was riding with my father to some hunting grounds about a half a days trip West of the village. My father at the time had just started to work at the lumber yard, but had previously been working with the butcher. They had yet to find a replacement for him, so he still went out hunting for game to bring back to the village._

_I had never been interested in hunting, but my father was adamant on showing me and my mother did not protest._

_We reached the hunting ground a few hours past noon and my father began to unload the hunting tools from the wagon. There were bows and arrows, knives and spears. He picked up a bow and a quiver loaded with arrows, passing it over to me. I slung the strap of the quiver across my body and held the bow._

_He himself carried a knife and a bigger bow with his own arrows._

_"Now, remember how I showed you to hold the bow" He instructed, I positioned my hand in the correct place._

_"Good, and how do you set up an arrow?" He asked, I reached back and pulled out one of the arrows, setting the head on the grip and its fletching on the string, pulling back slightly._

_"Yes, excellent job. Now remember your stance and breathing. Are you ready?" He asked, turning towards the hunting grounds. It was a small forest and it looked extremely similar to the woods back at home. But it wasn't the same, we were allowed to be here._

_I nodded and we proceeded in through the trees, leaving our horse and wagon behind._

_We walked for quite some time, every once in awhile my father would turn and instruct me on how to step and where to step so that I wouldn't snap any twigs or disturb the silence of the forest._

_I trailed behind him. He would look around, scanning the forest, but I had no idea what he was looking for._

_He stopped abruptly and if I had not been paying attention I would have crashed into him. He signaled for me to come closer and stand next to him._

_"What do you see?" He whispered, not taking his eyes off a spot on the forest ground. I followed his gaze, but all I could see was green._

_"Uh-" I said, trying to find what he was so concentrated on "I-I don't know" I finished._

_"Look closer" He whispered again. I started looking, trying hard to find something out of place. I slight breeze passed through then and all the plants moved and the leaves rustled. There was one spot on the ground, though, that did not move._

_"It's a hare" I whispered, keeping my eyes on the figure. Its silhouette was clear now, darker against the green._

_"Very good," He responded "Now kill it"_

_"What?" I asked incredulously, still whispering._

_"We are hunting. Remember what I taught you" He said eyes still trained on the poor hare._

_My fingers trembled as I reached back and grabbed an arrow, placing it against the bow. It wouldn't stay steady because my whole arms were shaking now and my heart was pounding hard against my rib cage._

_"Breathe" My father whispered next to me. I did as he said and took in a ragged breath, realizing I had been holding my breath since the moment I caught sight of the animal._

_"Relax" He continued to instruct. I rolled my shoulders and attempted to relax the contracted muscles in my arms and shoulders._

_"Pull" I pulled back the string along with the arrow._

_"Aim" I closed one eye and direct the tip of the arrow straight for the hare._

_"Wait" This was the tricky part. I waited for the wind to calm and for my heartbeat to steady, enough so that I could feel the rest in between the beats, just like my father had taught me._

_"Release" As I said the words, I let go of the arrow and it shot through the air. I waited for something to happen. The hare bolted away._

_My father ran towards the area where it had been and began looking around. He turned with a smile on his face._

_"Why are you so happy? It got away" I said, grumpy and a bit humiliated._

_"I cannot find the arrow" He said, his smile big and proud._

_"Is that a good thing?" I said, confused as to why he was in such a great mood._

_"You hit it" He said simply, looking around and turning in the direction that the hare had bounced off to "Again" He said, and began walking. I followed behind, a small smile playing on my lips._

* * *

She had been riding for the whole day, keeping the horse which she called "Spade" on a soft trot. She would survey the ground most of the time, and after coming closer and looking at the path which she was on, I knew she was following something.

Now she was distancing herself from her steed, heading in a Northern direction. She started looking around, but soon her gaze became far off. She stepped deftly over the roots and plants, staying in a straight line but not really paying attention to her surroundings.

Suddenly, she perked up at the soft sound of snapping twigs- her eyes wide, her head turned to the side. She reached back into the quiver on her back and pulled out a large, sharp tipped arrow, positioning it on her bow.

I watched as she concentrated on the rabbit that was about fifty feet away from her. It had sensed that she was there and stopped in it's tracks, mimicking the girl's statue state. For a couple of minutes, nothing moved, not even the leaves in the wind. The small animal hesitated and took a few steps forward, but with that, she snapped her bow up, and released the arrow. To my surprise, the arrow had gone straight through the animal's stomach. I looked between her and the rabbit, shocked at how skilled of an archer she was.

She relaxed her stance and bounded over to the animal, her steps so delicate and light that anyone would have thought she was floating.

I took a few steps to the side and followed her from a distance, watching as she bent over the now dead rabbit and grabbed the arrow. She muttered something that I wasn't able to make out, but she soon had the arrow out of the animal, and she set it back into it's quiver.

I watched in wonder as she ripped a large leaf from a tree and wrapped the small animal in it. I was so distracted by the sight that I didn't realize that I had stepped on a twig, creating a low snap that vibrated softly throughout the woods.

Faster than I had time to realize, she had grabbed her bow off the ground and placed another arrow, and was aiming it straight in my direction. Her eyes darted around the area in front of her, trying to find where the sound had come from. I tried to remain as still as possible.

It was not time for us to meet.

An arrow shot passed my head, only a few inches away from it. A smile threatened to appear on my lips- she was beating the bush.

Now she stared straight at me, waiting for some movement, I knew she couldn't actually see me, but I entertained the fact that maybe she could. Her beautiful eyes were locked with mine, her long blond hair flowed in the wind as she waited.

Soon enough, she grew bored of waiting and bent down to pick up her game, walking back in the direction of her camp. She soon made a fire, skinned the animal, and cooked it. She was skilled in many aspects of survival, I observed.

The sun set further into the West and she lay down on the ground. The red cape she had been wearing was draped over her body, protecting her from the elements. The fire she had made earlier still burned, and her horse remained tied to a nearby tree, where it had been snacking on the grass in that area.

She had given it almost all the water she had in her bottle, and took meager sips from it every once in awhile.

She was now drifting off into a deep sleep, and didn't notice as I stepped into the radius of her camp, watching the light of the flames flicker across her skin. Her horse, of course, started neighing and whining and would soon wake her with all of the noise.

I stepped closer to the beast and acquainted myself, and soon it was as calm and quiet as it was before.

I remained at the edge of her camp, watching her sleep. She looked so peaceful. I decided to wait until dawn to make my next move.

* * *

**There you go!**

**Here we got some new layers to Caroline. This hunting-badass persona is not going to dominate her character, but it is something to keep in mind. There are still a few secrets to be uncovered...**

**There were a few questions as to who the monster was and Klaus and his relationship with his family etc., etc. All I have to say is that good things come to those who wait, my dears.**

**Unfortunately my updates are going to become less frequent (like I won't be updating everyday) because of school and other real life responsibilities. I'll definitely be updating at least once or twice a week, and since I already basically have the next chapter ready that will be up soon.**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Panda0990, Han, DreamsBeatReality, Aaaammber, and the guest who reviewed! Your constructive criticism and enthusiasm is just amazing! Also thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and alerted- you're awesome. **


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello lovelies!**

**After having to write two essays for my English class yesterday and finishing pretty late, I decided that I seriously needed to sleep. Therefore, there was no update yesterday :(**

**I am actually super excited/ extremely nervous about today because... Well you'll find out soon. I'm also excited because a lot of you guys are into this story. Which is awesome. I'm glad that it's suspenseful for some of you because that's what I was aiming for!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

A chill ran down my spine as my feet pounded against the hard earth. A fine sheet of cold sweat settled all over my forehead and chest as I ran through the woods, weaving through trees and ducking under branches. I spared a glance back, but it was too dark to see if anything was behind me anymore. But I didn't need to see, I could feel it behind me, it's presence palpable through the night air.

I turned back around, only to feel the world spinning as I rushed towards the ground. I looked down, noticing my foot caught on a root. I untangled my limb from the obstacle, but when I began getting up, I could not move. I was paralyzed.

Everything was dark now, the only visibility being offered by the soft light of the moon.

I stayed still, looking for signs of danger, and soon finding it; a pair of yellow eyes gleamed in the dark.

Waves of fear corsed through my body as I realized that the two mysterious orbs were getting closer.

I tried to scream, but my throat was tight and dry, not allowing any sound to escape.

The eyes were closer now, the faint outline of their owner visible, but I could not make out any human traits. Everything was hazy.

But the eyes were clear, and soon so were the teeth. Big, sharp teeth.

I closed my eyes and held my breath, waiting for the strike to come- but it never did.

I slowly opened my eyes and stared up at the canopy of green that was above me. The sun had probably been up for a while, because it was definitely not the crack of dawn.

I pushed myself up into a sitting position and stretched my arms up towards the sky, feeling the taut muscles in my arms and back loosen gradually.

I reached down to grab my bow and quiver which I had set next to me before going to sleep. But all I came to touch was grass and soil. I looked down, only to find an empty patch of grass and soil.

I suddenly became acutely aware of a figure lounging in the corner of my peripheral vision. I slowly turned my head and looked up at the man who was sitting on a log, twirling an arrow in his hand.

I felt my eyes go wide and my face grow pale. My muscles contracted once again, rendering the act of stretching pointless.

"Good morning" I said, trying to keep my voice as leveled as possible. The stranger smirked.

"Good morning" he replied, still playing with the arrow.

I stood up and dusted myself off, grabbing my cloak and tying it around my shoulders. The man stood up, paralleling my movements.

He had dropped the arrow and left it on the ground next to the bow. I tried to think of every possible scenario to get to them, but each one ended with less desirable outcomes. Here I was, with a stranger, in the middle of the woods. He was taller than me and much stronger (I guessed by the size of his arms).

I started inching closer to my bag, which I had thrown on the ground next to the log I had been resting against that night. He started stepping closer.

"I'm not going to hurt you" He said calmly, raising his hands up as if to show he had nothing to hide. For some reason, his words and his tone seemed to make me feel slightly at ease, but then I remembered where I was.

"Really?" I said, opening the bag, that was now behind me, with one hand, fishing around for something. My fingers brushed against the wooden handle of the axe, and I wrapped my fingers around it, getting ready to attack in case he made any sudden movements.

"Oh, come on. I'm a man of my word, and I promise I will not hurt you, love" he purred, sending shivers down my spine. I gripped the axe handle harder and stood up, taking it with me.

His eyes dropped to the weapon in my hand and his eyebrows shot up slightly. I swung it up so that it landed in my other hand.

"You promise?" I asked, more for the sake of stalling than actually believing him.

"Yes" He answered, not missing a beat and staring into my eyes. His own eyes were the deepest shade of blue.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, snapping myself out of his hypnotizing gaze.

"I live here" He said calmly, moving so that he could sit on the log that I had rested on that night. I stepped back, keeping the distance between us, which caused him to smirk.

In an attempt to not look at his dazzling smile or beautiful eyes, I looked at his arms, feet, anything. And that was when I saw it.

On his left wrist, there was a band with a small metal ornament. It would have gone unnoticed to me if it weren't for the fact that it was my father's. The metal ornament being the family seal, which I had seen on the letters that my father would write occasionally.

My heart started to beat fast, but time began to slow down as I gripped the axe handle harder and shifted it's weight to my right hand. Unfortunately, he had caught me staring at the band around his wrist and was now looking at me again, anticipating what I would do.

I moved a little further away from him, so that fire pit was between us.

"I promised I wouldn't hurt you" He said, something that looked like sadness and guilt passed through his eyes. But it was so faint that I dismissed the thought.

"I didn't promise anything" I said, my voice coming out strong and confident- as opposed to the pure fear that was settled in my stomach. My heart was pounding so loud that I could hear it in my ears, and I was pretty sure that he could, too.

He stood up and was by me in a flash, so fast that I didn't even see him. His hand shot out to grab me, but I swung the axe handle around his arm, moving to the side so that he was forced to turn away, his left arm sticking back an odd angle. I held him there for a few seconds, contemplating on whether or not to break his arm. He spun around and broke away from the position I was holding him in, grabbing the axe and pulling it away from me.

I quickly stepped back and grabbed the bow which was now behind me, moving as fast as possible to throw the quiver over my shoulder and reaching back for an arrow- aiming it roughly at where he was standing, letting it go. The arrow was going straight for his chest, when his hand snapped up and grabbed it in thin air.

It wasn't possible.

That wasn't possible.

I grabbed another arrow. And another. Each one aimed straight at him, each one he caught and threw to the ground.

"What are you?" I whispered, the fear now evident in my voice. He smirked slightly as he came closer. I let one more arrow go, but he caught it once again. I reached back to grab another one, but I had run out. He was now in front of me.

He reached out to grab me again but I ducked under his arm and went straight to the sword that was tied to Spade's saddle, pulling it out.

He chuckled and held up the axe he was still holding. I stayed stoic.

He then lunged forward with the axe extended, but I blocked the blow easily with the sword.

And it went on. He was hardly breaking a sweat (and advancing quickly), while I stood there, exhausted, trying to come up with a plan.

If there was only a way I could grab that axe.

I stepped forward at the same time he lunged, blocking the axe with the sword but trying to get as close as possible. And just when we were about chest to chest, I moved aside, causing him to lose balance slightly, and I took the opportunity to grab the axe handle and rip it out of his hands.

He stood there, slightly shocked, but then set his arms up in a defensive position.

"Why do you have that?" I said, gesturing towards the band on his wrist with the axe.

He looked down at the band and smirked.

"I found it" He said simply.

"Liar!" I yelled, swinging the ax and aiming it straight at his head. He ducked just in time for it to miss him, but barely. It landed, blade first, on the tree behind him.

When he got back up, I pressed the edge of the sword to his neck, trying to pull out the axe with my other hand.

"I'm going to ask again._ Why do you have that?_" I growled, pushing the sword forward so that it was almost cutting into his flesh.

"_I found it_" He repeated, uttering every syllable carefully. His voice didn't quiver. His pupils didn't dilate. His eyes didn't shift around. He was telling the truth.

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to look for any other signs that he was lying

I slowly lowered the sword and let it rest on the ground. I managed to pull out the axe from the tree trunk, and lowered it down to the ground, too.

He stood there silently. Watching as I began to walk towards Spade, slipping the sword back into it's scabbard. Then going to retrieve my bag and and the bows that were now thrown haphazardly on the ground, putting them back into the quiver.

Once I had gathered my belongings, I looked back at him. I made sure to keep the axe and the bow on me, just in case he tried to do something funny. He was, afterall, a man in the middle of the woods. And he was strong and clearly knew how to fight.

I walked over to him and stood right in front of him, staring into his big blue eyes. I reached over and quickly snapped the clip on the back of the band and took it off his wrist, taking a few steps back and away from him.

"You should leave" I said. He stood there for a while, staring at me with those too blue eyes. He was thinking, I guessed. I wasn't planning on turning my back on him until I knew he was far enough away for me to get on Spade and put some distance between us. I had noticed before that he was dangerous, but now I began to process all the details.

He had long sandy hair that reached mid-neck, and of course the blue eyes that could capture you from across the room. His skin was tan, not exactly olive like Tyler's but extremely close.

Well, he definitely spends some time outside because that complexion is not from sitting in a cottage or hut all day. He was clearly tall and strong. His white chemise was rolled up to his only his forearms, but the muscles there were bulging. Not so much that it looked unnatural but definitely enough to tell that he does some sort of manual labor. I had been around Tyler and my father all my life, and they both aren't as built as this man in front of me.

All his movements are well balanced and poised, like as if he is ready to pounce at any moment. His feet hardly make a sound as he steps- unlike a common villager who would be stomping around, unaware of the noise they would make by stepping on twigs and rocks.

No, he wasn't lying when he said "I live here". He most likely didn't mean in that exact spot. Maybe nearby. Maybe I was trespassing.

But he wasn't from a village. He lived in the woods.

In the woods.

The place that I was trying to find my father in. Maybe he knew how to track down these people.

I was about to step forward and stop him, ask him to come back.

But he was no longer in view. A few seconds ago, he had been standing right in front of my, then he disappeared.

I felt the leather of the band in my hand, pulling me back to reality. He had supposedly found it, and the thought gave me some sort of hope. But also fear. Not the fear that I might not find my father, or that he might be dead.

No. He wasn't dead. I could feel it in my bones.

The fear that he had it in his possession was what scared me the most. He was just one man and surely he couldn't stand a chance against a band of lumberjacks.

But for some reason, I was afraid.

* * *

That had not gone as planned.

She had been sleeping for some time when she started to stir. I expected her to be up and about at the crack of dawn, like she had the day before. But the sun rose and the birds chirped and she staying sleeping. When she did wake though, I expected her to fear me. And she did. I expected her to coward, maybe even run. But she did not.

Instead, she grabbed her axe and attacked me. Maybe if it weren't for the fact that she had seen the bloody band around my wrist, she would have never acted as such.

She was beginning to relax, maybe even trust me. But as swift as a change in the winds, her mood had altered.

What could that band have meant to her that she had fought to retrieve it? Called me a liar once I said where I had gotten it from.

And yet, the fire inside her as she was fighting was a magnificent sight to witness. She had given me everything she had- attacking with multiple weapons which she swiftly retrieved, even when I put them out of her way. Her aim was impressive. I had seen her only the day before hunting, but witnessing it up close was exhilarating. If it weren't for the fact that my reflexes were above par, she would have been able to put me out with the first arrow.

For now, I had to maintain my distance. Approaching her this soon was not the best idea. But we will see each other again- sooner or later.

* * *

** Am I nervous or am I nervous?**

**While writing Klaus and Caroline's interaction, I kept a lot of your reviews in mind (some of you guys don't like the idea of Caroline going total-badass). But as I tried writing and rewriting it, they would always end up in some sort of fight. So I took it as a message from the Gods and stopped messing with it. Now AGAIN, there is a point to badass Caroline. Even though you may be sitting there and thinking "What is the point?!", just...trust me it will all make sense in the end.**

**Anyways, Klaus isn't giving up, and he'll for sure be popping up in Caroline's train of thought.**

**I kinda feel like this chapter was wayyy too short, but adding on to it just didn't feel right, but I promise next chapter will be longer.**

**And because I've left y'all at a cliffhanger for a second time in a row, please feel free to copy and paste this into the review box, letting me know how much you totally despise me for leaving you a a cliffhanger. Again.**

_Dear Maria,_

_What do you think of life? Leaving your readers at a cliffhanger...TWICE!_

_Not only that, but this was an embarrassingly short chapter!_

_UGHHHHH!_

_Sincerely,_

_*Your Name*_

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: An ENORMOUS thank you goes out to KLAROLINE (Guest), DreamsBeatReality, loveklaroline (Guest) and Aaaammber for leaving reviews, and to everyone who favorited and followed. You guys make me type faster!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone!**

**So this chapter started off with only being about 1,800 words. Originally, it wasn't raining, but as I was editing, it actually started to rain outside so I was inspired. I also added an extra scene which I thought would put the story together nicely. **

**And merged it with chapter 6. **

**So chapter 6 is no longer chapter 6, it is now part of chapter 5. **

**So there is a new chapter 6**

**All in all, after I made all those changes, I finally felt like chapter 5 was complete.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

A low rumble echoed through the air as the earth shook slightly. I looked up from my place on the ground among the plants. The wind had picked up, bringing a chill along with it. I sighed, slipping my ax into a makeshift belt around my waist and picking up the few pieces of wood I had been able to gather.

Lighting and thunder had been striking for the past hour, and the shift in temperature signaled the coming of a large storm.

I stopped as soon as I realized that if I didn't look for cover, I would soon be drenched. I set up camp under a grouping of trees, their leaves forming a dense canopy that would keep us dry. It had yet to rain, but the thunder was getting closer.

Stopping at the camp grounds, I placed my load on the pile I had been collecting for the night. I shuffled around for a while, organizing the wood so that it would be accessible when I needed it to fuel the fire, moving my belongings closer to the center of the makeshift camp.

When I finished, I bent down and picked up the hem of my skirt. Over the course of the journey, I had ripped off part of the bottom to allow easy movement. Nothing much, just a few inches from floor length. But now, while laboring, I need much more room.

Now I tied a knot at about mid thigh- that allowed much more movement. I picked up my hair and secured it in a braid so that it was out of my face.

Another low rumble. Spade began to whine from his place at the edge of the camp. Horses tend to know when a storm is coming, and always look for shelter when they know there is impending would be dry under the canopy, but with all the noise and flashes he would eventually scare him enough to the point at which he would run away. That was why he was tied up, secure to two tree trunks.

I went over and placed a hand on his side, patting him lightly, trying to calm him down. It seemed to work because after a while he lowered his head and continued to feed on the plants in front of him. I stayed there for a few more minutes then went back to work.

I had gone hunting as soon as I had found our campsite, finding two squirrel in under an hour. Woodland creatures tend to scavenge for food throughout the day, especially when there is a storm coming. Just like horses, they can sense when rain is coming, so they grab a bundle of provisions and head for shelter. It didn't surprise me that I found two in such a short time.

I gathered some firewood and began to coax a flame, and soon enough, dinner was ready. I sat by the side of the fire and picked the meat off the little animals. Two squirrels was enough to keep me fed until dinner the next day (if I didn't exhaust myself).

Once I finished eating, I picked up a stone and started sharpening the edge of each arrow- something I did every night since the day I had crossed paths with the stranger.

His presence had had an unnerving effect on me, shaking me to the core.

I had thought of him every minute of every day. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue, and their color would change depending on the light like a kaleidoscope of blue. His facial features were well defined- a sharp and strong jaw, defined cheekbones. His sandy curls stood at odd angles, giving him a disheveled but handsome appearance. His lips, his red raspberry lips, would quirk up into a smirk, only to reveal the most adorable dimples.

No! They were not adorable!

He was mysterious and most definitely dangerous. The way he was able to move so quick and block every blow from me showed that he was not naive in the art of combat. But what alerted me the most was the fact that he could move so fast that he could not be seen. That he could grab an arrow out of thin air, making it seem so ordinary and effortless.

A chill ran up and down my body, leaving goosebumps all over my skin. Fear. I was afraid of him. Who wouldn't be? He gave off the vibe of a predator, hunting for his prey. His eyes seemed to be calculating every step, every move. His smirk gave off the feeling that he knew a secret- a secret I didn't know.

Another feeling crept up inside me, though. It was a warm feeling, right at the pit of my stomach. The feeling would settle there for some time, gradually going away and gradually coming back. It would always show up when I thought of him, but I had yet to find out what it meant.

The sound of rain hitting the earth started to echo around me, getting louder and louder as the seconds passed. I looked out to see a veil of water coming down on the woods.

By this time I had finished sharpening the arrows as well as the sword and ax. I put them aside and reached for my bag, fishing out the red cloak and wrapping it around my shoulder. I grabbed the water bottle and stood up, walking towards spade.

As I walked, I looked down at my bare feet. I had been trying out going barefoot when I realized that my slippers would wear out on the terrain of the woodland floor. Sure they were good for a grassy field, or the stone floors of my cottage, but they were not made for the woods.

Now they (my feet) were dirty, cut and bleeding. Some of the blood had dried already, but there were rocks and sharp twigs jammed into my flesh, leaving the cuts open. I stopped and tried to take as many of them out, and dusted off any loose muck.

I got to Spade and set the water down for him.

And that was it. We had run out of water.

About two days ago we came across a lake. It was rather small but the water was clean and the fishing was good. We stayed there for about a day. I took that time to rest and bathe and take advantage of the little paradise we had were able to restock on water, but apparently not enough for the whole trip.

It had lasted two days, which was pretty good considering the strict rationing.

I hadn't had water in two days.

All the water went to the occasional foot rinse and Spade. He did most of the work and needed to be healthy. I could last a few days without water.

But how many days until we reached another lake? How many days can a follow the trail?

The trail. It had been getting deeper and deeper into the woods, but the more I followed it, the less noticeable it would this had to be the trail in which my father went. There was a pattern of broken twigs and even...blood. It started to appear on the day after I crossed the mystery man. At first it was just drops on the ground and on leaves, but then it was smears against trees or even some pools on the side of the trail.

I had been following it for eight days now, and no visible signs of my father.

The only thing that kept me going was his band, which I now kept secured around my own wrist.

Somewhere, deep in the back of my mind, I knew that the fact that he didn't have it with him was bad. What it could mean. But he was out there somewhere.

Spade had finished drinking. I grabbed the now empty bottle and went to the edge of out camp. I stuck one foot out into the shower of rain and let the water wash away all the dirt and blood. I did the same with the other foot, then stuck out the bottle so that it could fill up.

I made my way over to where my bag was next to the fire and dropped down next to it. I rummaged around until I found a piece of cloth (which I had torn away from my dress), and dried my feet. Then I grabbed my slippers and slid them on. I put everything away and sat staring at the fire.

* * *

_"__Caroline!" I heard my father call out as he entered the cottage. I hopped off of my bed and dashed for the door._

_"Father!" I said, running towards him and jumping into his arms. He wrapped his own around me gathering me into a hug._

_"You're home early!" I said, pulling back to see his face. He wasn't supposed to be back for another few days. "Where's mama?" I asked, peeking behind him to see if anyone had come with him. But all I could see was the path leading down the little hill and over the bridge._

_That was when I noticed the look on my father's face. His eyes were bloodshot, dark shadows cast under them. He looked destroyed._

_"Caroline," He started, crouching down so that he was at my eye level. "Your mother...was in an accident" He said firmly._

_I felt my body shake and an uncomfortable heat ran over my whole body. Hot tears formed quickly and I felt a sob build up in my throat._

_"She-" a tear rolled down his cheek "She did not make it" He finished, holding my shoulders tight and staring into my eyes._

_"I-I-" I tried to say something, but I choked every time. I collapsed into his chest and cried, cried until I fell asleep._

* * *

I woke up that night in my own bed. The room was dark. I thought back to how I had gotten there and remembered my father, and my mother. I desperately hoped it was a dream- an intense, vivid dream.

So I snuck out of bed and opened my door slowly, looking out towards my parent's bed chambers. I sneaked across the hallway, trying not to make any noise. As I opened the door, I remember my hands shaking, my fingers felt like they had been in ice.

I peeked my head in and strained to see the object in the room. There was a dresser with a mirror, a small table, a chest at the base of the bed, and only one person laying in bed. I quickly shut the door and ran towards my room, burying myself under the covers, hoping that I could cry myself to sleep.

I shook my head and closed my eyes, willing the memory to go away.

With that I laid down and wrapped myself in the red cloak. Deep in the fabric, I could still smell my mother's perfume- sweet like lilies. I licked my parched lips and slipped into the dark.

* * *

The next morning I woke up to the smell of damp soil. Every day I had woken up to the warmth of the sunlight tickling my face. But the storm that had been going on last night had carried on to this morning, now only a drizzle of water as opposed to the dense sheet of rain that had been coming down before.

I sat up and stretched, looking out towards the rain. If I stayed another day to avoid getting wet, that would be another day that I would fall behind. If the rain did not subside for various days, I would be stuck.

I walked over to Spade who had been shuffling around in his place, yanking on the reins that secured him to the trees.

I placed my hand on his side again, trying to calm him down, but still being careful around him. He was still an animal, and with a jerk of the head he could knock me to the ground.

He calmed down though, and once again began to munch at the plants in front of him.

"I think we're going to be heading out again today" I said soothingly.

I quickly went over and stomped out the fire embers that were still glowing. I picked up my weapons, bag, and water bottle and went to secure them to the side of Spade's saddle. I untied him and mounted him, taking a second to pull the hood of the cloak over my head before heading out into the rain.

I kept Spade on a steady trot, getting back on the path we had been following. It had gotten narrower and narrower as we had continued into the woods and the heavy downpour of the night before seemed to have almost washed it out.

We continued like that for hours, the rain coming down so soft that I only remembered it when the occasional drop landed on my cheek. The red cloak I was wearing was soaked through, as well as my dress and hair. Spade's own mane and coat were dripping wet.

It was time to stop, stop and build a fire and dry up so that neither of us would catch a cold.

It was much harder to find a dry area, and we had to ride for at least another hour. When I set up camp, the next challenge was to find dry wood for the fire. I gathered a few twigs and small logs that were in the immediate dry area, and soon there was a small fire burning. I huddled close, holding out my cloak in front of it.

After a while, I hung it on a low branch and let the water drip out. As I returned to the fire, I realized that my clothes were not going to get dry any time soon. I looked around, a silly gesture because no one was there.

But as I reached down to grab the hem of my skirt, I stopped and remembered a certain stranger that had shown up out of nowhere about a week ago.

I looked around again to make sure no one was there.

I was under another dense canopy of trees, one like the day before, except this one was much smaller. Branches hung low, creating makeshift walls around the area. I could see out into the woods by the gaps between the branches, but no one from the outside could see in. It was well camouflaged.

I resumed my actions, grabbing the hem of the skirt once more and pulling it over my head. I folded the dress a few times and then twisted the fabric, wringing out the water. I shook out the dress, noticing the wrinkles that were now patterned along the cloth. I hung the dress next to the cloak and return to the fire, not only in my undergarments.

I felt highly indecent, but completely forgot about my state of of undress when the warmth of the fire hit my bare skin. I got as close to the fire as I could without burning myself and watched the flames lick the air.

I coughed once, feeling an annoying tickle at the back of my throat. I groaned, realizing the first symptom of a cold. I could not get sick- getting sick would mean being weak and tired, which meant a slow journey, or possibly, no journey at all...

I shot up quickly, remembering the couple of herbs and spices that I had packed when running out of the house. I grabbed my bag and rummaged around, finding the little wrapped package that contained the herbs.

Bonnie's grandmother would teach Bonnie what each herb, spice, and remedy was for. Sometimes when me and Elena would stop by the store, we would learn a thing or two.

I looked through the little package and soon found the bundle of echinacea- a small, violet colored flower that when mixed with warm water makes a drink that gets rid of any oncoming cold.

I grabbed the water bottle and held it over the fire. The bottle itself was made out of leather, and I didn't know how long it would last under heat before it cracked. I would hold it over the fire and remove it periodically, hoping to preserve the water bottle and to also get the water heated.

After a long time of careful heating, I tested the water temperature and dropped in a few pinches of the echinacea into it, shaking it slightly since I could not stir it.

I capped the bottle and went to grab my dress which was now almost dry and pulled it on. I sat by the fire again and began to take small sips of the remedy, feeling the warmth instantly soothe my sore throat.

I looked out towards the woods. It was darker due to the cover of the trees and the cover of the storm. It looked more like it was twilight instead of the actual mid afternoon.

A twig snapped and I looked towards what seemed to be the entrance of my camp. It as the largest opening that led towards the rest of the world.

A tall, dark figure was coming towards me slowly. I grabbed the bow and arrow which I had left right next to the fire, along with the sword and ax.

I first saw two hands, raised in front of the figure as if to say that they weren't going to harm me. I instantly recognized the gesture and felt the similar chill of fear run down my spine.

"Hello again, sweetheart" He said in his fluent, musical voice. Despite my efforts, I felt my heart skip a beat at the mention of the nickname. I stayed quiet though, and kept my jaw firm and my eyes set on him.

When I didn't say anything and continued to point the sharp arrow at him, he chuckled and looked down at the ground. His hands dropped and linked them behind his back. He shuffled his feet and looked up at me through his lashes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying not to let my guard down.

"Well..." He broke off and left.

I looked around, confused as to what he was doing. He came back with two large hares, one in each hand.

"You're the only fire for miles" He said, gesturing towards the fire in front on of me. I scrutinized him for a while longer before putting my bow down, but keeping it next to me. He walked up to me slowly and placed the animal down. He drew a large knife from his belt and I flinched, gripping the bow tighter and moving back slightly.

He seemed to notice my move and chuckled.

"Here," He said, putting the knife down between us slowly "You can skin them" He said, his tone hinting that he thought I would back away from the idea. I grabbed the knife and looked at him- I most definitely was not going to leave him with a knife and I would not let him near my weapons. He got the hint and moved away to the opposite side of the fire, well away from my things and me.

"You picked a good spot to wait out the rain" He said, after a while, trying to make conversation. I looked up at him through my lashes, refusing to speak, then looked back down and continued to skin the first hare. Once I finished, I moved to the next one without a word.

He had been quiet for a while now, which was strange. I glanced up and saw him next to Spade, patting his side. Spade seemed to not be bothered with it, which was weird because he usually wasn't friendly towards strangers.

I watched him, weary of what he would do.

I finished skinning the second hair and proceeded to cooking it. He turned around then, captured by the smell of food.

"That smells delicious, love" He said, coming closer and sitting on the opposite side of the fire as me.

"Don't call me that" I snapped, glaring at him.

"What?" He said, his eyes going wide and innocent, like a little boy getting caught stealing treats.

"'Love' and 'sweetheart'. I am neither of those to you" I said.

"Well what should I call you? I do not know your name" He said. I thought about it, then decided against telling him my name. He was a stranger. In the middle of the woods. And I had ran into him twice already.

"What are you doing here?" I repeated my question from before.

"I live here" He echoed his answer from before, his lips pulling up into a small smirk.

"Really? You live here in the woods?" I said incredulously. The first time I had believed him (a little) because I thought he lived near the area at which I had met him. But now he was here, extremely far away from where we had crossed paths, and that was suspicious.

"Yes" He said confidently.

"Where?"

"Well, I can't reveal all my secrets now can I?" He said mischievously. I thought for a second.

"Well, what if I reveal one of my secrets? Then you reveal one of yours" I bargained.

"Alright," He started and then thought for a second "What is so important to you about that bracelet?" He said, pointing towards the band around my wrist, the one I had been cherishing for the past week. I took a deep breath and looked at the cooking meat, anything but him.

"It was my fathers" I started "He went missing over a week ago" I said. he remained quiet. I looked up after a while.

"Where do you live?" I said.

"About a four days journey west" He said without missing a beat.

"That wha-"

"Uh uh uh, a secret for a secret remember? My turn" He said, waving a finger at me.

I handed him a piece of meat and waited for his question.

"What is that?" He asked, pointing towards the package of herbs I still had out.

"Oh, those are herbs" I took a bite of my meat, chewing and swallowing before continuing "Their used for remedies and for cooking" I said.

He nodded and took a bite of his own.

"How long have you lived in the woods?" I asked. He kept his gaze downcast.

"As long as I can remember" He said. He stayed quiet then and didn't say anything. I waited for his question, but it never came.

"Next question" I said, watching him tentatively

"I think it is time for me to leave" he said, standing up, and making for the exit. He turned "Thank you for the lovely meal" He said, and disappeared into the dark.

I looked down- he had left his knife.

* * *

There was a slight clearing at what seemed to be the edge of the line of trees. It wasn't exactly the edge of the woods, but there was a clearing. You could tell because there were rays of sunlight seeping through some of the trees that lined the area.

I tied Spade to a tree and grabbed the bow and quiver. This was protocol for every time I there was a clearing. A clearing could mean a good place to set up camp, or it could mean a terrible place to stay and be a sitting duck. There was always the possibility of a lake, or a pack of wild animals. Either way, I assumed the best choice was always to check what was in the clearing before barging in.

I walked as lightly as possible on the balls of my feet, trying to step around anything that would make a sudden noise. I made it to what seemed to be the edge of the clearing, and carefully got near it.

It was hard to make out anything from where I was, hovering behind the foliage. I tried not to disturb any leaves. But there was no other way- to find out what was in that clearing, I needed to.

I gently pulled down on a branch to allow a better view. There was a pretty big clearing. It was completely covered in grass and little plants- as opposed to the ground in the rest of the woods which was mostly soil, plants, and my surprise and joy, there was a decent sized lake in the corner of the clearling. I could hear bubbling and the rushing of water which most likely meant that there was a river nearby. Perfect, a place to rest.

I turned to leave when something stuck out in the corner of my eye. There, at the far side of the lake, on the other side of the clearing, was a cottage.

A cottage meant people. Civilization.

I froze, staring at the structure. I hadn't come across any form of human life for the past ten days- not counting the stranger.

He had disappeared the night before and left his knife. I wanted to read into that, but decided it would be best not to.

There was no smoke coming out of the chimney, but there was firewood out front. I focused on the wood. It was neatly stacked in a row along the front of the house, each little log about the same size. I looked around and found a stump with an axe protruding from the top. That was where the owner would most likely have cut the firewood.

There was dust. Saw dust to be exact. It was littering the sides of the stump and stayed there in mounds. The fact that there was sawdust still there was enough. Whoever resided in that cottage was still there, and had been there recently.

I returned to where Spade was tied and brought him closer to the edge, tying him to a tree nearby.

"Hey there boy," I said in a soothing voice, combing his mane with my fingers. "I'm going to go for a little while. I'll be back and hopefully with some good news." I grabbed the red cloak and draped it over my shoulders. "Be a good boy while I'm gone" I added, patting his neck and starting to back away, bow in hand.

To say this was nerve racking was an understatement. Whoever lived in that cabin was probably not even there, and if they were, who were they? Would they consider me to be a trespasser?

Well, technically I was, but for a reason.

I reached the edge of the woods again, the clearing on the other side. I carefully stepped through the trees and brush, my bare feet touching the grass on the other side.

I stood there as still as possible, looking around the area. It was exactly the same as it was when I had been looking at it through the leaves. I let out a breath, not know that I had been holding it in.

I took a few careful steps forward, making a path straight towards the cottage, but walking as slow and carefully as I could.

There was no one around. The only sound was the slight rustle of leaves as a gust of wind passed through. I had been used to the quiet though. The only sound accompanying me for the past ten days had been Spade's hoofbeats against the forest floor, the sounds of crackling twigs in the fire, and the splintering of wood as it was hit by a blade. And silence.

I had reached the door. It was still quiet. I tried to look into the house as inconspicuously as possible, but there was no visible movement through the windows. There were no candles and no bodies walking about. Just the dim inside of the cottage.

I raised my hand and knocked lightly- no answer. I knocked harder- no answer.

The third time I went to knock, the door creaked softly and revealed a sliver of the inside. I pushed it a bit more and the door opened all the way.

I found myself freezing in my tracks once again. The door was open and no one was inside. Should I go in?

I stepped over the threshold and waited.

"Hello?" I called out, taking a few steps forward. I had been itching to reach back and grab an arrow, but some thought in the back of my head told me not to because it might make it seem like I'm a threat. Most likely, whoever lived out here had to have some sort of protection- some sort of weapon- and I didn't want them coming after me before I got two words out.

"Hello? Is anybody home?" I called out a little louder, hoping that if there was someone in there, they would hear me and come out.

Suddenly, there was a thud. It wasn't loud, but it couldn't be ignored. I whipped my head to the side, waiting for it to sound again.

"Is anyone there?" I called out one last time. A few seconds later, there was another thud, louder this time. I walked towards the sound cautiously. It took me further into the home, down a small hallway where I was faced with a few doors.

"Can you hear me?" I said at a normal volume, trying to keep my voice from breaking.

_Thud!_ The sound was clearly coming from the door furthest to my right. I reached back and grabbed an arrow, setting it up on the bow and moving forward. I walked up to the door and pushed it, but it wouldn't budge. I looked down and saw the knob. I turned it and the door came open easily, creaking slightly.

In front of me, there was a flight of stone stairs, leading downwards. The walls were no longer wood in the room, they were stone, with lit torches hanging on them.

Another thud. I stepped forward and began descending slowly down the steps, trying hard to breathe correctly and keep my heart rate even.

The air was getting colder and colder with each step I took, the torches flickering as a draft passed through. I reached the bottom landing and stood there, waiting for anything to happen, my bow poised and ready.

Ahead of me was only a dark abyss. There were a few torches lit here and there, but they offered no visibility. The only thing they led on was that the room was big, bigger than I thought it would be.

I turned around and grabbed a torch that was hanging on the wall next to the stairs, turning back, holding it in front of me, trying to see anything that was down there. I walked along what seemed to be a wall, stone and cold just like the one next to the stairway.

After a few steps, I found another torch that had been extinguished. I touched the ends together and the torch on the wall immediately caught the flame, offering more visibility to the room. I continued to walk along the wall and found three other torches to light.

The room was now dimly lit, but it was much better than the darkness that occupied it before. I returned to the stairs and put back the torch where I had found it.

I breathed again, trying to control my heart rate which was now thrumming like the wings of a humming bird. I gripped the bow, pulling the arrow back slightly on the string, ready for anything.

I whipped my whole body around, pulling back the string fully and aiming at anything. There was nothing. Just empty room with stone walls and stone floors and torches hanging from the walls. I stepped forward even more, waiting for any signs that there might be someone there.

And that's when I saw it. There weren't just walls and floors here. There were little nooks and niches along the walls. There were stone walls coming out and creating other separate rooms, but there were all out in the open, no doors of any sort.

I continued treading along, peeking my head into one of the "rooms".

Even more confusion overtook me when I saw bars, running from ceiling to floor, closing off the rooms. I turned around and looked at the other room behind me, which had the same bars running from ceiling to floor. I peeked into the next two rooms- bars all the same. I stopped, coming to the realization that these weren't just rooms- they were cells.

But why would there be cells below a cottage in the middle of the woods? Who would want to have this under their home? _Who lives here?_

Another thud, this time loud and clear, coming from the my left side- one of the cells. I also noticed that I was in a little hallway between two rows of cells.

There was someone there.

I raised my bow again, waiting for the another thud. Thud! Louder this time, coming from the row on the right. I stepped forward slowly, wary as to what was around the corner. I set myself right through the middle of the hallway, a safe distance away from any of the cells.

Finally, I came around the corner, aiming the head of the arrow at anything that moved.

The cell was dark. I squinted and focused on the figure crouched in the corner. It looked like a man, dressed in a white chemise- dirtied and bloodied.

It held a rock in their hand, and it beat it against the rock wall towards the back. Thud.

I lowered the bow, looking closer, my eyes widening in horror.

"Father?"

* * *

**Super long, I know. I've never written a chapter this long, but I promised you guys this one would be longer.**

**It took forever and my brain is fried, but it was totally worth it!**

**So what did you guys think? What will happen next!**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: Thank you to Aaaammber, Babygirlz, DreamsBeatReality, Sierra (Guest), and who reviewed and those who favorited and followed. You're just amazing!**

**P.P.S.: I know I know I am a terrible person for leaving y'all at a cliff hanger- AGAIN. I think that's the third time in a row. But I can't help it! It just happens! I swear I don't do this on purpose. I swear.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey, everyone!**

**So sorry for such a long wait- I think it's been about 10 days... Life gets in the way, writers block gets in the way, fear of writing something terrible gets in the way...**

**But I sat down today with a purpose and I was able to fulfill it.**

**So here you go! Chapter 6 of our story (we get a little KLAROLINE here *wink wink*).**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

There were few places I had expected to find my father in. This definitely was not one of them. I expected to find him leaning against a tree, getting water by a lake, hauling lumber back to the village. Other expectations had been in a more negative light, but none compared to the sight in front of me.

He slowly turned around at the sound of my voice. He was hunched over, his clothes tattered, his eyes barely open. But once he caught sight of me, he stood up and rushed forward, falling to the ground immediately. I got closer to what I concluded was his cell, getting a better look at what was going on.

He had an iron clasp around his ankle, binding him to the wall in the cell. He gathered himself again and began crawling to where I was. His hands wrapped around the bars and he pulled himself up into sitting position.

"Father" I whispered. He looked exhausted, beaten, and weak. There were dark circles around his eyes, cuts along his jaw, his lip busted open. He still had his burly arms and legs, but they could hardly sustain him.

"Caroline..." He tried to choke out but his voice raspy and raw. He coughed a few times before looking at me again, his eyes pleading.

"You need to leave. Leave this place and don't look back-" He said, then stopped "How did you get here?" He asked.

"I came to find you" I said, trying to hold back tears. How did he expect me to just leave? I had been looking for him for over a week, enduring hunger, pain, fear. I reached forward and touched his cheek, rough with stubble. He hadn't shaved in days.

I stood up, yanking at the bars, trying to find a weak spot- there was none. There was a lock on the door of the cell. I looked around for a rock and began to hit it, sparks flying every once in awhile, silent tears streaming down my face as I realized that it wasn't coming loose.

"Caroline," He whispered as loud as he could, "Stop!" He said again "You're making too much noise!"

"I'm getting you out" I said, still beating at the stubborn lock.

"No! You must go. If you stay any longer, you won't make it out. Both of us won't make it out." He pleaded, standing up and trying to get me to listen.

I stayed silent.

"Stop" He said again. I kept going, ignoring his pleas.

"Caroline!" He said, sticking his hand out through the bars and grabbing my hand before I could beat the lock any more.

"I can get you out" I said one last time. His features softened and he smiled. He shook his head.

"I know you can. But you're putting yourself in danger. You have to leave" He said, tears rolling down his own cheeks.

"I'm not leaving" I said, making my voice sound stronger than what I felt.

"I agree, sweetheart"

I was confused, to say the least. My father hadn't uttered a word, and yet the voice echoed through the dungeon. I turned around, looking at the figure that stood at the end of the hallway, a familiar chill running down my spine. I quickly ripped myself from my father's grasp, dropping the rock and reaching for the bow and arrow that had been discarded on the floor, a few feet away.

I set the arrow on its rest and turned around towards the figure. It hadn't moved from where it was, but was now starting to come out of the shadows, revealing their face.

"You?" I gasped, staring at the familiar man in front of me- the stranger from the woods.

My muscles started to give out, my bones turned to jelly. There was no way I could fight him off. He was faster, stronger, almost inhuman.

"Surprise seeing you again, my dear" He said with a smirk.

I glared at him, arrow pointed straight at his head- this time I wouldn't miss.

"See, I thought that after our little-" He took a few steps closer, and I rose to my feet, pulling back the arrow even more "-encounter, you wouldn't venture any further. Seeing as you did, makes you dumber than you look" He finished.

I felt a sort of pain in my chest. I recognized the feeling and knew that his words had hurt me- for some reason I had thought that after helping him yesterday (was it yesterday? It felt so long ago) we had built a sort of bond. I shook the hurt away.

The fear and dread that I had been feeling disappeared just like that, and I let the arrow go. It flew through the air, straight towards his head, but before it could reach its target, the stranger's hand reached out and grabbed it in thin air- just like he had done before.

I had already grabbed another arrow.

"Let my father go" I managed to say through clenched teeth.

"And why would I do that?" He asked, playing with the arrow in his hand.

"Because I won't stop until you do" I stated.

"Please, Caroline, leave..." My father managed to get out, fighting his own exhausted body.

I let go of another arrow- he dodged it. I let go of another and another, both of which didn't even touch him. I was stepping closer with each shot, hoping to wound him in some way. I reached back for another, but I was out of ammunition.

He realized this and smirked, lunging forward to try and grab my arm. I used the bow to block the blow. I pushed his arm back with the bow, and took a step back to land a kick on his chest. He grabbed my foot from in front of him, holding me there. I quickly bent forward and slipped between his legs, ending up behind him. I pulled my leg away from his grasp and lunged forward, wrapping my arm around his neck.

Throwing myself back, I let the weight and momentum of my body bring us both down. My back landed hard on the ground, knocking the air from my lungs for a moment, but I continued to hold onto the stranger's neck. I quickly wrapped my legs around his torso, squeezing as hard as I could.

The struggled sounds of choking filled the room as he began to shake, trying to throw me off, but I just held on tighter. His arms were trapped under my legs, and the only thing he could move was his legs- which did little to free him.

About a minute later, his body lay lax over mine. I slowly relaxed my muscles and unwrapped my arms and legs from his body. Waves of exhaustion crashed against my body, and I lay on the ground, willing myself to get up.

I pushed the body off myself and began to get up. At that point, it registered in my mind that my father had been screaming at the top of his lungs the whole time, but the adrenaline and rush of the moment prohibited the thought at the time.

It also registered that I had just killed man.

I grabbed the rock from where it was on the ground and began to pound that the lock again, my movements sluggish.

My father came closer "Valerie-"

"No" I cut him off, using a tone that implied that he need to be quiet and accept that he was getting out.

"My daughter-"He began again.

"No" I said even louder "Do you not understand- No!" I said, turning to him, a fire burning through my whole body.

"You must get out. Leave this place. Leave me. Return to the village and never speak of this again!" He stuck his hand through the bars and began to push my hand away, trying to stop me from breaking the lock.

"No!" I yelled, and suddenly felt something pulling my shoulders. My back hit something hard and the air was once again forced out of my lungs. I coughed, trying to breathe, taking in shallow breaths.

I opened my eyes, little stars twinkled around the edges of my vision as I tried to focus. Everything seems blurry.

"I'm impressed" Said a deeply accented voice. I man- more specifically the man I had just killed- stood before me, pinning my shoulders against the wall on the opposite side of the dungeon. I struggled against his grasp, trying to break free, but he was much stronger and at an advantage.

"No" I whispered, still trying to catch my breath. I had killed him. I had choked him until he was pale, dead- gone.

"Yes, I am much harder to kill than you believe" He said confidently, a smirk playing around the edge of his lips.

I continued to struggle, trying to move my arms or drop to the ground. But he continued to pin me hard against the wall, his hold to strong that I was basically dangling there.

"Let her go, please" My father begged at the other end of the room.

"Oh, but she seems like a tasty little thing" He quipped bringing his face down to my neck. His nose trailed up and down the side of my neck, his lips brushed against my flesh.

I unconsciously growled, the sound coming from deep within my throat, eliciting a chuckle from the stranger.

"And she has fire" He said loud enough for my father to hear, his face still buried in my neck. He brought his lips up to my ear "I like it" He whispered.

Bile rose up in my throat and my breathing became labored. I wanted to punch, I wanted to scream, I wanted to inflict pain on this idiot.

But more than anything, I wanted my father out of here. Out of his disgusting cell and away from here.

I moved my face so that I could whisper in the stranger's ear, bringing my lips to his flesh like he had done to me.

"Let my father go, and I'll stay for as long as you ask" I whispered, trying to sound strong and together.

His body stiffened and he pulled back slightly, enough to get a good look at my face. I stared him straight in the eyes- his sapphire blue eyes. They darted all around my face, scrutinizing my features, taking everything in.

I felt something cold clasp around my right wrist, then my left. I looked down and saw the metal shackles that were now there. I pulled at them, the chains making a clanking noise.

I looked up at the stranger who was now sauntering over to my father's cell, going to the lock. He pulled at the it and it came off easily. He pulled open the door and walked in, doing the same to the shackle around my father's leg. He roughly pulled my father up, dragging him out of the cell.

"Congratulations. You are free to leave" He said sarcastically.

"Give me a chance to at least say goodbye" My father barked from the ground.

The stranger made a gesture towards me with his hand, signalling for my father to get up. He rose to his feet and rushed over to me, pulling me into an embrace.

"Don't do this. Don't do this, please" He begged. "I lost your mother, I cannot lose you as well" He added. I sucked in a ragged breath, trying to compose myself.

"Do not cry. Do not beg" I said coldly. He pulled back to look at me.

"I am young. I am foolish and impulsive. I have nothing to offer the world, and being in that village only suffocated me. You on the other hand are wise and skilled." I said, fighting so hard against the stubborn tears.

"Go out and live- for the both of us" I finished. Just then, he was pulled away from me, causing me to miss his warmth immediately.

"Caroline! Caroline!" He yelled as he was pulled down the hallway and up the stairs, out of sight. I heard the door shut and I was alone.

Not able to hold back any longer, I let the tears stream down my face.

I didn't allow myself to sob, though. So I just sat against the cold stone wall, shackled to it, silent tears streaming and never stopping.

I smiled to myself. My father was free- I accomplished what I set out to do. I traded my freedom for his and I had yet to feel sadness or regret or sorrow that I was now in the hands of an apparent psychopath.

What didn't make sense was that I had killed him- for a fact, I had killed him. There was no way someone could me choked for over a minute and survive.

What scared me was that I had thought I killed him and had not gone into any sort of shock. I assumed it was only natural for someone like me to just be overcome with guilt and regret. But I wasn't.

Tears still streamed down my face. They were hot and left a burning trail on my cheeks.

I felt numb. My arms felt heavy and my legs felt like dead weight.

I didn't think about anything.

Nothing at all.

* * *

"Return to your village. You got lost while looking for lumber and don't remember anything" I said in a monotone voice. The man walked out the front door, across the clearing, and into the depths of the woods. I sat back onto a chair in the living room and picked up a bottle of gin, taking a large swing from it.

She was here- down in the dungeon.

I had her father captive for over a week down there. I had found him near the village, cutting down some trees along with maybe ten other men. I picked them off easily, and they almost put up no fight. But he was strong, prepared for every blow. Of course- I was stronger. I was about to take him out as well, if it weren't for the band around his wrist.

That was the only reason he survived so long.

When I encountered the girl in the woods, she had immediately recognized the band. Instead of treating me as a friend, she attacked me with full force.

It all made sense now- she didn't know. If she would have known, she would have treated me as a friend. It explained so much now.

I concentrated and tried to listen to what was going on in the floor below. It was eerily silent. I quickly stood from where I was and flashed towards the door to the dungeon, yanking it open and rushing down to see if she had escaped.

But she had not. She was sitting silently on the ground, her hands shackled to the wall, just how I had left her. She looked up, her emerald green eyes coming to life in the light of the flames.

Her long blonde hair cascaded down her body in soft waves. Her opale skin glowed despite the fact that the room was dim. She was a vision of beauty in itself.

She stared me down, almost defying me. I matched her stare, and couldn't help the smirk that appeared on my lips at the thought of her being here.

_For as long as I asked._

* * *

**There ya go! Love it? Hate it? Let me know!**

**So this will be the beginning of Caroline living with (being prisoner to) Klaus. So it's safe to say they will be together. A LOT. Starting now.**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: A great big****_ gracias_**** goes out to ****Aaaammber, DreamsBeatReality, Panda0990, SONY (Guest)****, and ****A Reader (Guest)**** for reviewing, and everyone who followed and favorited!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone!**

**No intro today, so...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

It had been roughly multiple hours since my father had left. Multiple hours since he came down to- I suppose- check on me. He had merely stood there, staring at me for some time, and then turned around and left.

My attempt at saving my father was risky, and I thought that nothing would come of it. But that beast had accepted to my terms so fast that I hardly had time to come up with a viable refute.

I sit here now, listening to the shuffling of feet and objects up above. Whatever that man was doing, he was doing it quite noisily.

The tears had stopped coming, leaving dry tear tracks along my cheeks. I could still feel them there, a constant reminder of what I had lost. I thought about my father.

Where was he now? He was so weak when he had left that I'm not sure he could take a few steps without stumbling. Would he find water? Food? Shelter? His way back?

I hoped that maybe he could find Spade and ride back to the village. At least Spade had my bag with him, and that contained a few necessities that he could use to survive.

The shuffling and noises stopped. I looked up at the ceiling of the dungeon, wondering what was going on up there.

I looked down at the clasps around my wrists, binding me to the wall behind me. I was going to start pulling, but I had promised this man that I would stay as long as he asked, and going back on my promise was not something I was prepared to do.

He was extremely strange. He seemed normal enough- on the outside. The second time we had met in the woods, he seemed friendlier and less tense. I had thought about him a few times after that, seeing him as more of an acquaintance than as a stranger. An acquaintance that I would never see again.

I felt ridiculous for not being more suspicious when he showed up for a second time. I had made up excuses for him, trying to explain to myself why he was crossing my path again, when the real reason was nowhere near my guesses.

I think I knew in the back of my mind that he was dangerous, that he was just too strange.

He was faster than anything I had ever seen, and he seemed to be connected to everything around him- like as if he could hear, see and smell anything for miles.

There was no way to fend him off. I had hit him with all my power on both of our violent encounters, and he would simply put me down with little to no effort.

He is like the perfect weapon. He is graced with handsome features that would lure anyone in, and he has the skills and ability to kill you once you are close enough.

I tensed, think about all the times that I was close enough for him to kill me.

There was the sound of a door opening, and I could see the light streaming in from where the door was on the other side of the room. Light footsteps sounded through the dungeon, and the stranger appeared around the corner. He had his hands folded behind his back, dressed in a simple white chemise with the strings undone, brown trousers, and boots.

"Good evening" he said politely, a smirk gracing his features.

I stayed quiet. He watched and waited for my reply, which would never come.

"Well, it's about time for supper and I would like for you to join me" He asked nicely.

I swallowed hard and cleared my throat.

"I'm not hungry" I lied. I would rather starve than share a meal with him.

"I beg to differ, sweetheart. It must have been hours since your last meal. You must be ravenous" He stated, stepping closer and bending down so that we were eye level.

"I'm not hungry" I repeated, glaring at him. He stared at me more intensely now, concentrating on my features.

"You will have dinner with me" His voice dropped lower, basically a growl, but I remained relaxed, not letting the sudden fear show. I steeled my nerves.

"No" I said, enunciating the word carefully.

It seemed that he was caught off guard by my answer. He pulled back a bit more, his eyes darting around my features. He was looking at me like I was some sort of unknown creature. He picked up my wrist and broke off the shackle, then doing the same thing with the other. I was slightly startled with the action. It was so fast and unexpected that I didn't have time to process it.

He brought my right wrist to his face and sniffed it.

"What are you doing?" I asked, confused as to his actions. He grabbed my other wrist and did the same, ignoring my question. Once he had finished, he sat there, the look of perplexity clear on his face.

"What is your name?" He asked, grabbing my shoulders.

"Why should I tell you?" I answered defiantly.

"What is your name!" He yelled, his eyes taking on a wild quality. I gulped and stared back, matching his stare.

"Ask nicely" I said, my voice tense and demanding.

His eyebrows pulled together and his face changed automatically. He let go of my shoulders and pulled back. Sighing, he rubbed his face with his hands and looked back at me. I waited patiently and folded my hands across my lap.

"May I have the honor of knowing your name?" He asked- nicely.

"My name is Caroline, and yours is-" I inquired.

"Klaus" He said, holding out his hand. I placed mine in his, about to shake it, when he suddenly brought it up to his lips and kissed my knuckles. I quickly snatched my hand back and regarded him carefully. His face changed again, enraged. He got up in a flash and looked down at me.

"My offer still stands" He said, and stormed off, down the hallway, up the stairs, and out the door, slamming it behind him. I stared after him.

* * *

It had been two hours since I had gone down to offer her a meal and she had yet to come up. I could hear her breathing, but she had not shuffled or moved from the position I had left her in. The stew and roasted boar were now cold and waiting on the dining table, the candles had pools of wax around them. The sun had gone down and now it was pitch black outside, the almost full moon reflected off the lake's water beautifully. Maybe one day she would be willing to take a swim...

No, she was so stubborn and set on her ways. If it were up to her, she would probably stay down in that dungeon until the day she died.

The thought sent waves of anger through my whole body. She would not die.

"But why do I care?" I growled out loud, throwing myself down onto the fur coach in the corner of the parlor, the thought of her cold and pale flashing through my mind.

I would make it my personal goal to make sure she stayed here alive, and happy. She had offered to stay as long as I asked, but her eyes showed that she was extremely unwilling to do so, and was only here to keep her father alive. If she had to chance, she would run back to her village; back to her father, back to her friends, back to that boy that she had been with before entering the woods.

A fresh sense of rage returned- the thought of any other man catching her fancy bothered me.

The sound of her breathing becoming more shallow and labored snapped me from my internal rant. I listened closely, my body poised to run down if anything happened.

Her body continued in a steady pattern, but sounded weaker than it had a few minutes ago. I flashed down to the dungeon and stood in front of her. She had fallen asleep.

Her head rested against the stone wall, her lips slightly parted as her chest rose and fell. Her long blonde waves cascaded perfectly down her shoulders and to her waist. Her skin seemed to glow in the torch light. I stepped forward carefully, trying not to make a sound.

She sat with her hands still folded across her lap, her legs spread out in front of her.

On impulse, I leaned down and wrapped one arm around her back and another beneath her knees, pulling her up and walking towards the door. She lay limp in my arms, but suddenly stirred lightly, seeming to adjust herself.

I walked past the dining area and into the parlor, carefully setting her down on the fur couch I had been sitting on only moments before. I quickly went to retrieve a large blanket and laid it across her body.

She continued to stir and settled herself until she was laying on her side, facing me.

Her face was so relaxed and calm, completely innocent. She had put on a similar face to this one as she calmly defied every move I made to either upset her or arouse her. But this look was much more serene- at peace.

She was lost in deep sleep, but I still expected her big, green eyes to pop open, ready with a fire to defy me once again.

The thought made me smile. The thought of us engaging in another one of our debacles, close in combat. She could anticipate any of my moves as well as I with hers. It felt like we were connected in a way.

She stirred again, now laying on her back, her hand came to rest above her head, the other laying across her stomach. She lightly pushed off the covers, but let them settle at her hips. She signed, a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

What she could be thinking of was a mystery to me. She seemed utterly content, and it reminded me of her face when she had first ventured deeper into the forest. She was still in awe, her eyes always searching for something new or hidden.

I wanted her to look at me that way- to be the cause of a smile, to be part of her awestruck moments. I wanted her eyes to sparkle, her smile to light up the room in my presence.

With that thought in mind, I walked over to the armchair next to the couch and sat, leaning my head back and falling asleep.

* * *

The distinct feeling of a breeze running over my cheeks woke me from my slumber. The darkness of the dream realm faded into an orange glow. I slowly opened my eyes, looked around and waited for the slight blur to subsided as the world became clear.

I looked down and touched the fur blanket that covered my body, touching the soft material and playing with it for a few seconds.

I looked around the unfamiliar room, sunlight streaming in through the opened windows, the curtains seemed to float in the wind. I sat up on the couch and looked at the armchair across from me, the large rug on the floor, and the other sitting spots settled around what seemed to be the parlor of this home.

I set my feet on the ground and stood up slowly, taking in my surroundings. I walked around and touched the armchair, the material was soft and welcoming. There was an abundance of pillows and furs set on both the couch and the armchair. There was about a dozen candles on the small table in the parlor. They seemed to have been lit recently because there was still cooled tracks of wax trailing down the body.

I walked out of the parlor and down a wide hallway that lead to what seemed to be the dining room. A large mahogany table with twelve intricately carved high back chairs stood in the center, the candelabrums spread across the center of the table.

In front of one of the head chairs, there was what looked like a feast set up. I stepped closer, curious as to what was there.

There was a large goblet filled with milk, a plate piled high with pancakes, a jar of honey next to it. There was sugar and powdered chocolate and coffee. There were grapes, apple and pear slices already prepared on a plate.

I regarded the meal carefully, deciding that I wasn't going to eat it when my stomach growled loudly. I looked down and placed a hand over my tummy, torn between eating the feast and walking away from it.

Quickly deciding that this was all a dream because it just couldn't be possible, I sat down and began to munch at the I was through with them, I moved to drizzle honey over the pancakes and pour both chocolate and coffee into the goblet of milk.

The meal was the most delicious I had had in a very long time, possibly the most delicious I had had ever. I sat on the comfortable chair, trailing my fingers over the intricate details on the side of the table. The design seemed to be a myriad of roots or stems interweaving, roses, leaves and thorns emerged every once in awhile. The chairs were similar in design.

I closed my eyes and reveled in the dream a little longer, waiting for the moment from which I would wake up and return to the cold and stony dungeon in which I had fallen asleep.

I sighed, opening my eyes, faced with the same scene from my dream. I closed my eyes again and forced myself to wake up, but when I opened my eyes, I was still sitting at the head of the mahogany table with a finished feast laid out in front of me. To say I was confused was an understatement.

As I was sitting and thinking of how this could even be remotely possible, a faint sound traveled through the air. I turned my head and tried to find where it was coming from, but it seemed to have been coming from outside the cottage.

I stood up and headed back to the parlor, finding the door that lead outside and opening it.

The sun shone bright and a breeze swept through the clearing. The sky was blue, not a cloud in sight, and the lake seemed to be completely crystal clear. I looked around, the sound was now very much prominent.

By the stump I had seen while coming in, stood the strange man. I pile of cut logs piled next to him. He wore no shirt, and the sweat glistened off his back as he swung an ax down onto another log, effortlessly slicing it in two.

Seeming to hear me approach, he turned around slowly and regarded me. I stood still, waiting for him to act. He began to turn around again, returning to his work.

"Good morning" He said over his shoulder, placing another log on the stump and swinging the ax, repeating his actions.

"Good morning" I returned, stepping off the small porch of the cottage and over to where he was. The pile of logs next to him was ever growing, and by the looks of it, he still was not done.

I untied the strings holding the red cloak to my body, an accessory I hadn't bothered to remember since the moment I stepped into the clearing. Now, I hung it carefully from a branch on a nearby tree, leaving me in only the brown dress and barefoot.

I walked back to where Klaus was and began to pick up some of the cut logs, carrying them to their rightful pile next to the cottage. He had an impressive amount of wood already, but it looked like he was nowhere near finished.

I continued to make the journey from the pile next to him, picking up about two logs, then stacking them neatly on the pile next to his cottage. He continued to chop logs, neither of us even glancing at each other.

The sun continued to climb in the sky, becoming visible through the treetops. On one of the trips I stopped and tipped my head back, starting a braid and finishing it off. I pulled out a ribbon that I always kept tied in front of all my dresses, and tied it around the end of my hair, fastening the braid in place.

While I was walking back to the pile next to him, I noticed that he had stopped chopping wood. He leaned over and picked up two logs, tucking them under one arm and then doing the same with two more, tucking them under his other arm. I picked up two logs. As I turned to walk over to the cottage, he walked up next to me and we walked side by side. We reached the cottage and I set down my logs, then went to help him with his. We walked back to the pile where there were only about ten logs left. He picked up another four and tucked in a fifth under one arm. I looked at him, the challenge ripe for the taking.

I began to tuck the five logs under my arms until I was successfully able to keep them there, but the task proved to be harder than I thought. I looked up at him, an amused glint in his eyes and a smirk played on his lips. I stuck my chin up and began to walk over to the cottage.

All my muscles were clenched as I tried to keep all the logs from falling and tried to make it seem as simple as possible. Why I was doing this eluded me. There was no particular reason other than I couldn't stand the self-satisfied look on his face when he thought I couldn't do it.

We reached the cottage and he began to put the logs away. I watched as he placed each one neatly and then stepped aside for me. I stepped forward and repeated his actions, finishing and placing my hands on my hips, smiling at my small victory.

I turned to Klaus, still smiling. He broke out into a chuckle and clapped his hands together. His actions made me laugh.

The silly competition between us had actually been quite ridiculous, but funny as well.

My laughter died down and I glanced at my feet, finding them extremely interesting at that moment. I cleared my throat and looked up at him again.

"Thank you for breakfast" I said with the nicest voice I could muster. It wasn't particularly hard which scared me. Wasn't this the man who had been holding my father hostage only yesterday?

"I wasn't going to let you starve" He said matter of factly, like as if there wasn't any other answer to my statement.

I nodded and smiled, not knowing what to say. I also wanted to ask if he had taken me out of the dungeon, and why, but decided that this wasn't the best time.

"Come" He said, taking me away from my thoughts. He began to walk towards the door of the cottage and walking in. For a moment, I feared that he would lock me up again. I quickly pushed those thoughts away- I am basically his prisoner, that would be my rightful place, of course that's where we were going.

But he went a completely different way from where the dungeon was. I followed behind warily, not sure of what he was doing.

He walked to what looked like the kitchen and began picking up dirty pots and plates, putting them all in a large barrel and easily picking it up. We passed by the dining room and he did the same with the discarded plates and utensils. He walked out of the cottage, rounding the right end of the it and heading to the side.

There was a large metal tub there. He placed the barrel next to it.

"Stay here, I'll be right back" He said, and went back to the front of the cottage.

Standing where I was, I had the wall of the cottage to my right and the forest a few feet away from my left. The line of trees wrapped around the back of the cottage, indicating that we were right on the edge.

Another sound caught my attention. I began to follow it, leading me to the actually back of the cottage.

Spade. Spade was there. He was in a stable, all my gear was removed from him. He neid and huffed at my presence.

"Spade!" I said out loud, running to him and petting his nose, running my hand over his coat.

"I found him just outside the clearing" I turned and saw Klaus standing there, watching my interaction with Spade "I pieced it together from there." He came forward and placed his hand on Spade.

The thought of Spade being here was suddenly not good at all. If he was here, that meant that my father was alone, with no horse.

My mood suddenly changed and I looked up at the stranger, a sudden urge to flee crossing my mind. He had just ruined any chance of survival that my father may have had. The annoying feeling of tears building behind my eyes began to spur, and I fought against the urge.

He glanced at me, and his mood changed as well. He knew that I wasn't happy, and all the muscles in his body tensed, visible now that he was shirtless.

I clenched my jaw and swallowed in an effort to moisten my now dry mouth. I need my ax, sword, or bow- right now.

* * *

**Can anyone say filler chapter?**

**That was totally a filler chapter btw, that means "by the way" (quote from Damon Salvator himself). **

**I wrote this expecting to get to the juicy part quicker, but it took on a life of it's own. So the juicy part comes next chapter, which I hope to put up super quick- like maybe tomorrow super quick, if you catch my drift ;)**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: My lovely reviewers {****Aaaammber, klauslover (Guest), DreamsBeatReality, GuestS, KatieDesignerShades****, and ****emilusbaxter****} followers & favoriters deserve a round of applause!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone!**

**So this is the juicy chapter that I was talking about, but not the juiciest of you get what I'm saying ;)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Her mood had altered visibly as soon as she had seen the steed. I thought she would be elated, and I wasn't planning on showing him to her until later on in the day- or at least until I could trust that she would stay even with apt transportation at her disposition.

She had been happy for a few seconds, but her face changed. She was upset, or bothered by something, and I had no idea what could have possibly changed her demeanor. She had engaged in a playful competition with me only moments ago- on her own accord. The way her eyes glint with the sight of a challenge, and the small triumphant smile that graced her features once she had put the logs in their place.

Now she kneeled in front of the washing tub, scrubbing plates and pots. I was on the other side, doing the same. I really didn't do this very often, but the chance to be with her all day was engrossing. The fact that she had helped me with the logs was surprising, to say the least.

She was still upset, it was visible on her face.

"What is troubling you?" I asked as nicely as possible. Brute force wouldn't work on her. She demanded respect in every way possible, and trying to force the source of her mood swing out of her wouldn't help make any progress.

She looked up from her work "Nothing".

"You're lying"

"No, I am not lying"

"Of course you are" I said, regarding her closely. "Now let us try again- what is troubling you?" I practically growled, she was testing my patience.

"I am worried about my father. That never crossed your mind?" She shot back, venom lacing her words.

"Of course it crossed my mind, sweetheart-"

"Do not call me that. I have a name and you know it" She interjected.

"Of course it crossed my mind, Caroline." I stressed her name, causing her to roll her eyes in response "But, you see, you were starting to relax in my presence and I didn't expect your behavior to change so quickly"

"Well, excuse me of being weary of your presence"

"This would be a lot more pleasant if you tried being civil towards me" I sighed, standing up and drying my hands on my trousers.

"It's kind of hard to do that when I am your prisoner" She said, standing up as well.

"You were the one that offered yourself" I said a little louder, stepping around the tub so that I could stand in front of her. She lifted her chin and matched my stare.

"That was when I believed my father had a chance to survive!" She hissed.

It all clicked right then. She had hoped that her father would find her horse and ride off with it. She was right to be angry. I had practically killed her father, and then let him go to find his way back to safety, taking away his only chance to make it back.

What she didn't know was that her bag- with her ax and sword, were safely hidden, and not in her father's possession. She may not have thought of this yet, but if she did, it would fuel her anger further.

She turned on her heel, striding away. Her posture and the way she carried herself with confidence didn't waver for a fraction of a second, but there was certainly more intensity to her steps. She rounded the corner of the cottage and I heard her slam the door. I continued to listen, surprised that she walked passed the parlor and through the hallway that lead to the dungeon throwing the door open and storming down the stairs.

I sighed, picking up the newly washed plates and pots, placing them back in the barrel and carrying it inside. I placed everything in their rightful places.

I had been living alone most of my life, and simple housekeeping chores became part of my daily routine. Along with gathering firewood, collecting water from the lake, and tending to...other things.

I searched the cupboards for a bottle of gin, sitting down at the head of the large mahogany table and taking a long swing.

I had carved the table out myself. It had been after a storm, thunder had struck an old mahogany tree, causing it to snap in half. I found it during one of my ventures, and decided that it would be a waste to leave it to rot.

The piece, along with the twelve chairs, had taken ages to make- nearly a year. Each detail was painfully and carefully carved. It had kept me occupied for some time.

I took another long swing, listening to what was going on in the floor below. She seemed to just be sitting again- I could only hear her breathing.

I rested my head on the back of the chair. It had been a long day. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a myriad of colors across the sky. An orangish glow streamed through the windows. I closed my eyes, letting a peaceful slumber overtake me once again.

* * *

I waited a few hours. Once I felt like it was late enough, I stood up slowly from the sitting position I had taken up against the wall. I dusted off my feet and began to take cautious steps down the stone hallway, careful not to make a sound.

I reached the stairs, a sure challenge. Stairs always tended to be noisy.

I took it, literally, one step at a time, carefully placing my feet on the places I knew wouldn't make a loud sound. Thirteen steps.

The door. The wooden door. I touched it, barely, with the tips of my fingers. The barely audible creaking noise caused me to stop abruptly, every muscle in my body clenching painfully. I waited a few minutes and then pushed on the door a little harder, a sliver of the outside hallway visible.

I breathed in a bit more and pushed it open enough for me to slip through, not wanting to risk any unwanted noise and waste any precious time.

I padded across the hallway as quickly and as quietly as I could. When I reached the end I peeked around the corner, looking for any signs of my warden. Nothing.

The windows of the parlor remained open, the darkness of the night consumed each pane. I stepped out of my hiding spot, trying to relax my muscles and making it seem like I was just walking calmly through his cottage. If he caught me in my act, he would hopefully think that I was just walking around casually, as opposed to what I was attempting to do.

Something caught my eye. It seemed to be coming from the dining room. I stopped walking and craned my neck to try and see what it was.

It was him. He was sitting at the head of the magnificent mahogany table, a bottle in his hand. His head was tilted back slightly, indicating that he had fallen asleep.

I felt a burning sensation in my chest, and I let out a breath I hadn't noticed I was holding. I moved towards that the door swiftly, taking advantage of the new found information- he was asleep. That didn't mean that he wouldn't wake at any moment, but I had a window of opportunity and I wasn't going to miss it.

I rounded the side of the house and stepped around any twigs and branches that could make an unwanted noise. I reached the stables and started looking for the lock.

"Hey, boy" I whispered soothingly to Spade. He made a small snorting sound, and I shushed him, trying to keep him as quiet as possible. I found the latch on the door and pulled it open, swinging the door of the stable open and grabbing Spade by the mane, pulling him out. There I looked into the stable, hoping to find the riding gear- but there was nothing there.

Once he had stopped shuffling around, I placed my hands on Spade's back and pulled myself up, swinging my legs over to either side of him. I had never ridden a horse without the proper equipment. But here I sat, barefoot, with no reins or seat. I grabbed handfuls of his mane and pulled towards the left, getting him to move towards the only apparent exit. I dug my heels into his sides and he took off.

At this point, I didn't care if the hoof beats resounded throughout the clearing. We were past the cottage and through the trees in record time, following the light of the full moon. I looked back for a second, but there was no one behind me. He wouldn't be able to catch up- I was already too far away for him to chase and he had no horse- or at least that I knew of.

We weaved through trees. I tried to stay on a straight path, and tried to calculate the path my father would have most likely taken. In this case, there was probably a trace for me to follow, but I was trying to put as much distance between me and the clearing as possible.

It brought me back to the day I had met the stranger in the woods for the first time. After our duel, I had waited for him to disappear between the trees, and just as fast, I had mounted Spade and taken off at lightning speed. Following the trail had become increasingly easy, and keeping up with it at a breakneck pace at the moment wasn't difficult.

Now I was doing the same- running away from him. The fear that coursed through my veins wasn't idiotic. He was a predator, and I was his prey, his target. He seemed like the type of person that didn't take no for an answer, and would do whatever it took to reach their goal.

I dug my heels into Spade's sides once again, pushing him to go faster.

The wood of the bow dug into my back, the three arrows I was able to salvage scratched my flesh. I reached back and took them out from my dress. I had grabbed the red cloak and taken it with me while I made a scene and stomped into the house. In those few seconds where we had faced off, a plan had formed in my mind. I stormed down to the dungeon with the sole intention of grabbing the bow and arrows that remained discarded in a corner of the room. I stuffed it into the back of my dress as soon as I had a chance and sat down on the ground, hoping that he wouldn't come down to check on me like he had done before.

Thankfully he had not. I continued to adjust the arrows and bow as I waited for the sun to set, so that I could escape with the cover of the night.

I would find my father, take us back to the village, and stay there. I wouldn't wander off into the woods ever again, I wouldn't even ask- I wouldn't ever speak of this again.

I knew what was in the woods, and I wished I didn't.

I took the ribbon out of my hair and tied the arrows together. I kept the bunch on my lap and slipped the bow over my shoulder like I had done so many times before.

* * *

I had been riding for at least an hour, pure adrenaline kept me going, digging my heels into Spade's side every time he would start slowing down.

The distinct sound of paws padding against the ground caused me to turn around and catch a glimpse of a huge dark creature running along side me, chasing me. There was another on my other side. I dug my heels into Spades sides again, but suddenly, another one of the creatures appeared in my path.

Immediately, I took an arrow out of its tie and set it on the bow, releasing it into the creature. It yelped out in pain. Its companions howled. They were wolves.

Spade jerked to the side and came to an abrupt stop. I looked down. There was a wolf, its teeth sunk into his leg. I grabbed another arrow and shot it straight through the beast's eye.

I leaped off of Spade and pushed the beast off his leg. There was another wolf. It was big, its coat the deepest shade of coal black I had ever seen- it basically blended into the night. I stood between the wolf and Spade, fumbling with an arrow, trying to get it on the rest.

One more perfect shot, and I would be home free.

The wolf continued to circle me, waiting for the right time to pounce. I waited, too.

But soon, the horrifying realization that this wasn't the only wolf left crept up on me. There were other beasts hidden between the trees, in every direction, their eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

The huge black wolf continued to circle me, slowly. I began to notice that it was much bigger than an actual wolf. Wolves that I had seen before were smaller, with a gray coat. This one was almost the size of Spade- its legs strong, its head, teeth, and eyes big.

It stopped its circle and stood poised, ready to pounce. I knew it would come at any moment, and once I would let go of the arrow, about a dozen more would pounce.

This is the end.

I held my breath, thinking of the words as the beast leapt in the air. I aimed the arrow head at the monster, waiting for it to get close enough.

But I never go the chance. Another creature collided with the wolf in mid air, falling to the ground with it. A deafening roar erupted through the forest as the two creatures tussled on the ground. There was a loud pop and a ripping sound, and one of the wolf's legs went flying, then another, and another two.

Once the creature was completely maimed, the unexpected hero stood up, covered by the shadows.

I had no chance to get a look at them because suddenly, all the creatures that had had their eyes trained on me were suddenly on top my savior, suffocating them.

One wolf went flying, then another. They were being thrown off as if they were nothing. Roars, growls, howls and barks erupted from the pile. More wolves went flying. Some would hit the ground and run off, yelping and whining. Others would hit trees, getting stabbed by an out sticking branch.

Now the stranger battled on the ground with another one of the wolves, and was losing. Without thinking another second, I aimed the head of the arrow and released.

I rushed over to the heap. There, I saw a large black wolf, with an arrow straight through its head, dead atop the stranger. I pushed it off, revealing no one other than Klaus.

He lay on the floor, his eyes closed, breathing heavily.

He sat up abruptly, his eyes open and wild- yellow. I scurried back, away from him.

I noticed then that he was bigger, his shoulders wider. Besides his eyes being yellow, his canines were elongated, his other teeth significantly larger.

I waited for him to calm down. He looked at me, a low growl emerging from his chest. I stayed still, looking him straight in the eyes. He soon closed them again and rubbed his hands over his face, taking a few deep breaths.

When he removed his hands, his eyes had returned to normal, his teeth and body were returning to normal as well.

I began to inch closer.

There were multiple deep scratches all along his torso. Blood painted his whole body, flesh ripped.

I ran my fingers over his shoulder.

"Do not touch me! Do not get close to me!" He yelled, scrambling back. "Get away!" He growled.

"I am trying to help you!" I yelled back. I stood up and stomped forward to where he was now sitting, extending my hand.

He regarded me carefully, then placed his hand in mine. I pulled him up, letting his arm come around my shoulder as he leaned on me for support.

The coppery smell of blood hit me strong. There were multiple abrasions running along his arms as well, all of them deep.

I helped him get up on Spade. He swayed from side to side, about to pass out. I quickly mounted Spade, turning around so that I was sitting facing Klaus.

He looked at me quizzically as I untied my cloak and draped it around him. He had no shirt on, only trousers. He didn't even have boots.

I turned back around and turned Spade around, back in the direction of the cottage, I didn't even know what had come over me. I could have taken this chance to leave him there and be on my way, to find my father.

Instead, I was heading back to the place where my father had been tortured and where I would probably be for the rest of my life. He would probably punish me for escaping- but I could escape again before that, maybe while he is resting, too weak to go after me...

I pushed the thoughts away and concentrated on weaving between the trees, pushing Spade to his maximum potential.

He had obviously passed out by now, or had been very close to. His body was resting against my back, his head lay on my shoulder. I looked at him, his eyes were still open, but battling to stay awake.

Sooner than I thought, the clearing came into view. I broke through the barrier of trees and headed straight for the stables. Once in, I jumped off and helped Klaus off. He was slipping in and out of consciousness. I closed the door of the stables and focused on getting into the cottage.

"Come one, Klaus. Stay with me" I said quietly. I was basically carrying him into the cottage, but his feet continued to work. He stumbled along, trying to help me, but his efforts weren't much help. Once at the cottage door, I kicked it open and rushed in, setting him down on a couch. His eyes closed instantly as he knocked out.

I ran into the kitchen and grabbed a large pot, running out of the house and out to the lake. I dipped the pot in picking up as much water as possible. I made it back to the house as quickly as I could without completely spilling all the water.

I set the pot down and went to go grab a few more pots, distributing the water between them. I put two to boil in the fire place, trying to get the water as clean as possible.

I went on a search for a piece of cloth in the house, having to grab a small blanket and tearing it into even pieces.

I began to soak a few in the cold water and kneeled down before Nik, starting to wipe away the blood around the cuts. Once that was done, I dropped the cloth back into its rightful pot and set the bloodied water and rags aside.

I went and grabbed the two boiling pots, steam rising from the surface of the water. I carefully began to dip a few pieces of cloth into one, being careful with my fingers. I bit my lip and shoved my hand in, a burning sensation traveling up my arm. It wasn't enough to burn me, but enough to cause some uncomfortableness.

I took out a cloth and wringed it, the air stinging my skin.

Carefully placing the cloth on an open wound, I began the task of cleaning them.

He bolted up, hissing in pain,

"What are you doing!" He yelled, a wild look in his eyes.

"Trying to help you!" I yelled out again "That's going to get infected if it's not cleaned" I placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back onto the couch "Now hold still" I demanded.

I placed the cloth on the open wound again, causing his face to contort in pain.

There were about ten deep cuts running along his torso, and the task of cleaning was far from easy. Fear of causing an infection lead me to change the water and boil it about ten times (once for each wound).

He would tense and clench his fists as I would work on him, grit his teeth, or growl.

Once I had finished, the wounds were no longer bleeding as much as before. But there was still some blood, and the cuts began to secrete a clear liquid. I was able to find a much larger blanket which I transformed into a large gauze. I wrapped it along his torso in an effort to hold the bleeding for the night.

I moved to his arms and did the same- cleaning the wounds and wrapping them.

"There, all done" I said. I moved to gather all the pots. I started moving them outside, dumping the bloodied water into the grass and rinsing out the pots by the washing tub, doing the same with the pieces of cloth- just in case they would be needed again.

I brought everything in and placed them in their rightful places.

I searched through the kitchen and found that he had cheese and bread, as well as fruits and leftovers of a roasted boar.

I put everything together and took it over to the fireplace, reheating strips of boar meat and warming up the bread with cheese.

I looked for some milk and brought that over too, heating it up and pouring it into a goblet.

He lay on the couch where I had left him. I sat on the edge of the couch and nudged him carefully. His eyes fluttered open sleepily.

"Come, you need to eat" I coaxed him, holding out a piece of meat. He caught it between his teeth and chew hungrily.

I fed him the rest of the boar and the bread with cheese along with the milk.

"That's what I thought" I said, smiling down at him. I took the plates and placed it in the kitchen, going back to attend to him.

He was now staring at me, no troubles with staying awake.

I touched his forehead to make sure there was no signs of a fever. He was cool.

I grabbed my cloak. It had fallen on the floor when we had come rushing in. I lay down on the couch opposite to him and covered myself with the cloak.

"I got blood on your cloak" He said.

I looked down. There were splashes of red on it. The cloak was already red, but these were darker.

"I'll wash it in the morning" I said, turning to him with a small smile. He returned it.

I closed my eyes "You should rest" I said.

"I'm fine. You should rest. You've been through a lot" He said. I opened my eyes.

"Me? You just fought off a whole pack of wolves...with your bare hands!" I held out my own hands to make a point. He just chuckled.

"Sweetheart-" He began, but shot him a look.

"Caroline-" He began again "You just fought off two wolves, and spent a good portion of the night riding at full speed if my calculations are correct" He said, causing me to look down and blush. My plan hadn't worked, and it was because I had helped him.

"The adrenaline running through your system was what kept your energy so high, and you're going to experience a crash at any moment. So rest. I promise I will" He finished and settled back into the couch. I did the same.

"How did you do it?" I asked, my eyes closed.

'What, love?"

"Fight them all off." I yawned "They should have killed you. Should have killed me" I finished, snuggling deeper into the warmth and softness of the fur and blankets.

"Well-" He said, but I was slipping into my dream realm, the last few words drowning out into the black haze.

"You're going to have to stick around to find out."

* * *

**Love it? Hate it? Hmmm?**

**Next chapter I will clear up exactly what happened here, so if your confused, don't worry!**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: Thank you to all who followed, reviewed, and favorited! **


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey, everyone!**

**Here's chapter 9! Ohhh and you might wanna read the A/N at the end...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I jolted up and clutched my chest, gasping for air. The dream I had woken up from still consuming my thoughts.

I began thinking back to the day before- the escape, the wolves, Klaus. It hadn't been a dream.

I looked over at where he was, still laying asleep on the couch that I had been sleeping on the night before. His face looked so at peace and rested. Each feature was still his- his chiseled jaw with it's scruffy whiskers, his rough, sun-tanned skin, his curly blonde hair. The rays of the morning sun fell upon his face, ironically making him look innocent.

I felt a small smile forming on my face, thinking about his own perfect smile and his sapphire eyes- anyone could get lost swimming in those blue eyes.

But his eyes had been yellow last night. I had turned the aspect over in my head a thousand times, blaming the change of his features on the lighting or the adrenaline of the moment.

But he had had yellow eyes. His canines had elongated, his body became burly and big. He already had strong arms and prominent abs- but they had increased perceptibly last night.

He had an animalistic look in his eyes, but once he had seen me, he had stopped and controlled whatever erge had come up within him. He had thrown off a pack of wolves relatively easily- but were they even wolves? They were much bigger and stronger than any wolf I had ever seen.

This only enhanced the fear that had been accumulating all over my body. He was dangerous, and I was in the middle of nowhere- with him. Alone.

I stood up quickly, needing to get out of the cottage which now felt too small.

The cool morning air hit me as soon as I threw the door open, clearing my mind of any worries I had had seconds ago.

The clearing was so beautiful. There was a variety of trees surrounding the area, ranging from pines to maples and oaks. There were small patches of flowers here and there- white and violet.

The grass was so green and fresh, the lake glistened in the sun ( and at night, in the moon). Since part of the lake cut into what seemed like the border of the clearing, I could hear the sound of a river rushing nearby and a brook was slightly visible through the trees.

I stepped towards the lake, holding the bloodied cloak in one hand.

I found a smooth rock and kneeled down, carefully dipping the cloak into the cool water, beginning to scrub. Gradually, the water around the cloak was tainted in a translucent shade of red. I moved from stain to stain, each one was deep and crusted into the fabric, and I had to scrub hard and long to get them out.

I finished and wringed out the cloak, the water making it so heavy that I had to stand up and put all my strength into it.

Standing up and moving away from the lake, I shook the cloak out forcefully, getting the wrinkles out of the fabric. Then, going to a much larger rock a distance away from the smooth rock on which I was kneeling, I lay the cloak on it to dry. The sun would be up high in the sky and hitting the rock for a better part of the day, and the cloak should be dry by nightfall.

Before going inside, I decided to stay around the lake and enjoy the nature surrounding the area. It was all so beautiful and foreign. The meadow on which my own home was located was beautiful, and during the spring and summer, much of it was covered in yellow flowers.

But this place was much more mysterious and magical- different from the beauty of the meadow. Leaning over and looking at my reflection in the lake, I caught a glimpse of my appearance.

I hadn't been able to properly bathe for over a week (since I had last come across a lake), so the wild haired and dirty girl staring back at me was no surprise. There was dried blood on the sleeves of my dress, as well as all over the skirt. I hadn't given that much thought to it and therefore hadn't noticed- maybe because I was so busy with other things.

I sighed, looking over at the cottage and wondering how long it would take for its resident to wake up. I pulled the dress over my head, leaving me only in undergarments. I was just going to wash the stains out of the dress and then just simply wash my face and hair.

Once I looked at the dress, that changed. There was blood all over the back, from where Klaus had been resting against while we were riding back, and all over the sleeves and skirt.

There was dirt covering my face- leaves, twigs and dirt in my hair.

I took a deep breath and jumped into the depths of the water, the cold sending a shock through my entire body. While submerged, I started running my hand through my hair, massaging my scalp and getting all the grime and grit out of my long blonde locks.

Swimming up to catch my breath, I scrubbed at my arms and legs, over my tummy and my feet. I swam to the shore and sat in the shallow area, grabbing my dress and beginning the same task of cleaning it, getting the bloody stains out.

A nice breeze passed through the clearing, sending a shiver down my spine and causing me to go deeper into the water, avoiding the now cooler weather.

Soon, all the stains are out of the dress and I slowly step out of the water to wring it out, again having to use all my strength to get the excess water out.

By the time I finished with the dress, the cool breeze had dried the water off my skin. I decide that the dress was dry enough, and pulled it on again. I pulled my hair over one shoulder and wringed out all the excess water in it, too. I pulled my hair back again and begin to braid it out of my face, tying it with the ribbon that had been previously tied to the front of my dress.

I looked back at the cottage and decided it was time go back inside and stop avoiding him. I had only been out for about an hour, but he was bound to be waking up at any moment.

I reached the door and pushed it, walking into the parlor and looking for Klaus. He was still laying where I had left him, but he was looking around the room, waiting for something.

"Good morning" I said, stepping into his line of vision. He regarded me, looking from my eyes to my feet.

"Good morning. I see you went out for a swim" He said, smirking.

"Yes, I was quite dirty from...yesterday" I added the last part quietly, kneeling before him again.

"Can you sit up?" I asked. He easily shifted and sat, resting against the back of the couch. I got closer and started untying the knot at the end of the gauze I had secured the night before.

"What are you doing?" He said quickly, placing a hand over mine. I looked up at his expression. He was being defensive.

"I'm untying the gauze" I said, pulling my hands out from under his and pulling his hands off of the knot, beginning to work on it again "I need to see if it's healing correctly" I finish untying the knot.

"Lean forward" I said, grabbing his forearm and helping him shift forward, but he seemed to have no trouble at all. I frowned a bit, noticing that he seemed to be completely comfortable. He had easily sat up and now he shifted forward as if he didn't have ten deep cuts all over his torso.

I began to unwrap the gauze. It started to reveal his chest first, my frown deepening as I failed to see any ripped flesh. I began to unwrap the gauze faster, anxious to see what was under it. There was an astonishing lack of blood on the cloth- actually, there was no blood on it whatsoever. I looked at his face, he was staring at me curiously.

I finished pulling off all the gauze, letting my eyes roam over his chest and abdomen, nothing but a few shallow scars remained as opposed to the deep cuts that had been there only hours before. I moved to do the same with his arms, where there had been multiple cuts as well.

But his arms were completely healed, not even a scar or scratch remained.

I moved away from him, sitting down on the couch where I had been sleeping that night, trying to piece it all together. I glanced up at him again, his eyes were still on me, looking at my face, my hands, seeing how I would react.

"Explain" I said simply, not knowing what else to ask. Why are you completely healed when you should be bloody and uncomfortable? What happened to you last night? Why are we alive?

He sighed and began to move closer, making a move to get off the couch.

"No." I said quickly, holding up my hand to stop him "Sit and explain to me why you are completely healed when you should be laying there in pain" I added. He settled back into the couch, a serious look on his face.

"Why should I? I don't owe you. If anything, you should be explaining to me why you were running away last night, and why I shouldn't punish you for doing so and going against your promise."

"I wasn't running away! I was going to find my father and leave him my horse so that he could return to our village safely. I was going to return on foot." I said, raising my voice and sitting on the edge of the couch. "But that was obvious. Anyone with half a brain could have figured that out! And I don't care if you punish me- either way I'm going to have to stay here, no matter what you do to me" I was already yelling, but he continued to stare at me with an unreadable expression.

"I am asking you to explain because no matter how much I turn the situation and events that have been going on in the past twelve hours in my head, I have failed to explain to myself what is going on" I said, sitting down with a huff on the couch "Now, explain. Please"

* * *

"I was born here in the woods in what used to be a village not too far away from here. I lived with my mother and father and my siblings." I stopped and looked at her expression. She was just listening intently, waiting for me to continue.

"Have you ever heard of werewolves, Caroline?" I asked, enjoying how her name rolled off my tongue so easily- it was the sweetest word I had ever uttered. Her eyes grew slightly wider and her eyebrows shot up.

"Yes."

"How?" I inquired, cocking my head to the side, intrigued by the look on her face- she had definitely heard of them.

"You were telling a story, were you not?" She said and proceeded to smoothing out the front of her damp dress. "We can talk about that later. Now, continue" She looked back up, the look on her face gone and replaced with a mask of indifference, yet the curiosity in her eyes was evident.

"Alright," I regarded her carefully "Well, the village that we lived in wasn't so far away from another village- one that was particularly crawling with werewolves. Every full moon, the people of my village, including my family and myself, would travel to a series of caves. They were all protected by magic." I stopped, not sure of how she would react. Her expression stayed stoic.

I laughed "I guess you know about witches as well."

"I suspected they existed." She said simply.

"Right, well the caves were charmed so that only people of the village would be able to enter" I sighed, thinking of what I was getting myself into.

I had never retold this story to anyone, much less a girl that had tried to kill me on multiple occasions. I wouldn't even be able to compel her to forget, or to never tell anyone of what I told her because for some reason my compulsion did not work on her.

She herself was not a witch, I could smell it from a mile away- no, she was human. But the night I had tried to compel her into accompanying me to dinner, she hadn't bat an eyelash. So for some reason, my compulsion did not work on her, and it drove me positively mad.

The sound of Caroline clearing her throat pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Well? Are you going to continue or are you going to keep staring off into the distance?" She quipped and I chuckled at the little ball of fire she could be.

"One afternoon, while everyone was getting ready to journey to the caves, my brother Henrik approached me" I caught myself looking out to the space behind her, imagining Henrik running up to me that day.

"'I want to see the wolves tonight, Nik' he said-"

"Nik?" She questioned, her eyebrows pulling together.

"Yes, my birth name is Niklaus."

"Oh" She said and nodded slightly. "Continue"

"Well, me being the courageous older brother I was, said yes. So that night we snuck off and found a spot where we would be able to see the wolves. We climbed up onto a tree and waited"

"A little past midnight, the wolves appeared. They paid no mind to Henrik and I, as if they had not seen us. But then Henrik leaned forward on the branch we had been on, and his hand slipped, drawing blood." I looked down at my hands and pulled at my fingers "They noticed us then and started circling the tree, jumping up and trying to catch us."

"I forget what happened because it was all just a huge blur of fear blood, but it ended with me on my knees with my brother's limp body across my lap" I said, feeling the emotion of the story weigh on me, like it always did.

"When I returned to the caves that night to face my mother and Mikael, it tore them apart" I signed and ran my hand over my face.

"My mother, Esther, was a witch. She loved our family very much, and the death of Henrik made her realize that one day, we would all die and be separated for good."

"That night, she cast a spell on as all, and we awoke as what people have come to recognize as vampires" I said, and her face took on a similar expression as the one when I mentioned werewolves. "Ah, you know of vampires as well? How does that not surprise me?" I laughed. She waved her hand dismissively.

"Right, for later." I said, remembering her words from before.

"Since we had no idea what was going on, we were unprepared for the consequences" I said and the look in her eyes told me she knew exactly what I was talking about "The bloodlust was too much, especially without control or experience. We tore apart the village in less than a day"

"That night I also discovered that Mikael was not my father" I said, disgusted with the fact that I had to say his name "My mother had been unfaithful towards my father with a man from the village, a man who so happened to also be a werewolf" I added, but I knew she wouldn't know what that meant. Many people knew of werewolves, few knew of vampires, but only a handful knew of hybrids.

"A hybrid, my dear" I gestured toward myself "The werewolf gene I carried was triggered with my first kill as a vampire, making me a werewolf as well as a vampire"

"I have never heard of hybrids" She said, trying out the word.

"That is because I am the only one in existence" I said and she adjusted herself so that she was sitting further into the couch.

The lack of fear she was demonstrating was rather incredibly- I didn't know whether to peg her as courageous or just plain stupid.

"So, let me see if I understand" She started, sitting up straight and readjusting herself, her hands splayed out in front of her as she stared at the ground.

"The day that I killed you in the dungeon, you didn't die because you can't die. You have both the abilities of a vampire and a werewolf, which I guess includes healing?"

"Yes, that is correct"

"Alright, is there anything else I should know?"  
I shook my head.

After that, she remained quiet and still, turning the ideas around in her head. She seemed strangely calm, almost as if she was alright with the idea of being stuck in the middle of the woods with a beast. Or maybe she was figuring out a way to escape. She had her horse, she knew where all my food was, and she could adapt to survive- that much I knew.

She shifted in her seat, but kept her eyes fixed on the wall behind me, lost in thought. I supposed that I appeared the same way- but my motives for not looked at her straight in the eyes were much different.

She had the ability to intimidate me with just one stare- not because I was afraid of her, but because those light, forest green eyes seemed to be looking right through me.

She would know that I wasn't telling the truth, or the whole truth, for that matter.

And she could never know- it would not work if she knew.

* * *

We had been sitting in the same position for what felt like hours when my body suddenly started to shake. I looked down and remembered that I still wore the damp dress. Another shiver passed through my body, leaving goose bumps on my skin and an uncomfortable aching in my bones.

"Come," he said, standing up and breaking out of his trance-like state. "I'm sure you would like some dry clothes."

"Yes but I don't see how-" I began arguing that he couldn't possibly help me in that aspect when he grabbed my hand and pulled me up from my sitting position, practically dragging me behind him. He pulled me down a hallway that lead to the dungeon and I began to panic.

He was going to throw me in there again. He had been acting friendly towards me so that he could lure me back in and trap me in that god forsaken hole. He would probably punish me, torture me like he had surely tortured my father.

We reached the fork in the hallway- the door to the dungeon and two other doors stretched out before us. Instead of going for the dungeon door, he went for the one on the far left. Unconsciously, my muscles had clenched and I had begun to pull at my arm, trying to tear out of his grasp. But he hardly flinched, and didn't even show any amount of effort in trying to keep me with him.

He pushed open the door to reveal a bedroom. A large four poster canopy bed decked with luscious fur and cream colored silk stood in the center of the room against the main wall- a fireplace crackled in front of it. There were two windows on the wall to the far right- both had intricately woven curtains draping over them which had been pulled aside to reveal the wooded landscape that was behind the cottage.

He slipped his hand out of mine as he walked towards a large wardrobe and I, not that I would ever admit it, missed his warmth. I cursed myself mentally, knowing that I couldn't miss anything about him or get too attached. He was a monster

"Here," He called over from where he stood next to the wardrobe. He had pulled on a white chemise similar to the one he had been wearing the day that I saw him in the dungeon.

"Where did you get these?" I asked while looking at the collection of dresses he had towards the back of the wardrobe. There was about ten different dresses- two were simple peasant dresses, two were evening gowns, and the rest were in between.

He never replied, but instead, stepped towards a mirror that was a few feet away, hanging on the wall. He began to loosely tie the strings at the top of his chemise and then bent down to pull on a pair of leather boots that were set on the ground. I stood there watching, waiting for him to answer. Eventually, it became evident that he wasn't going to, so I waited for him to finish.

"You still have not changed?" He asked as he turned around.

I crossed my arms over my chest "Well I do not intend to in front of you"

"I was turned around for some time, love" He smirked.

"That is not my name" I growled, annoyed that I had to remind him. And even more annoyed of the thought that he might be doing it just to get a rise out of me.

"My apologies, _Caroline_" He let my name roll of his tongue.

"Yes, well I am not undressing with you in the same room"

"Why not?" He said, tilting his head to the side and pulling a confused face.

"Well, because- that's- you know!-" I began to stutter, looking around the room as I felt my cheeks burning up, surely turning red.

He chuckled, causing me to snap my eyes back to him, throwing him a dirty look.

"Fine, alright, I will leave and give you your privacy" He said, putting his hands up in defense and moving to leave. But when we were shoulder to shoulder, he stopped and turned to me "But do not try anything you might regret" He added in a dangerous tone, reminding me that he was far from injured and twice as far from clueless. His voice had dropped to a growl, and a flash of gold glistened in his eyes, sending shivers up my spine from the memory of the night before.

He left the room and I quickly pulled the brown dress over my head, grabbing an emerald green peasant dress. The material was worked, and there was a hidden pattern within the fabric. It had short sleeves but started just off the shoulder, leaving my shoulders and part of my back exposed. I sifted through the dresser one more time, biting my lip as I realized that the dress I was holding was among one of the most decent ones. I looked back down at the brown dress that was now a heap on the floor, scrunching my nose at the memory of the feeling of the starchy fabric and dirt that clung to my body.

I closed the wardrobe and picked up the dress, folding it neatly and placing it on top of the wardrobe. I walked towards that mirror pulled on the dress, fiddling with the sleeves, trying to find a way to make it look more decent. But the dresses cut was made to have the sleeves slightly off the shoulder, leaving the skin of my chest, shoulders, and back exposed.

I sighed, frustrated, pulling at the tie that had been holding my braided hair together and tying it to the front of the dress. I shook my hair out and made sure that it fell over most of the exposed skin. It was still semi-wet from the bath in the morning, but it would have to do.

* * *

I left the room with a smile on my lips. I hadn't noticed it there before, but just imagining the look on her pretty face when she saw that the only clean gowns I could provide for her were a little less than what she was accustomed to amused me.

They had belonged to a few beautiful women- the ones that were unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But none of them could hold a mere candle to Caroline's natural beauty. The way her eyes shone and her skin glowed and her hair cascaded down her back. No, not even all of their appearances put together could compare to her light- to her kindness and livelihood.

I had honestly never expected her to help me the night before. She had to perfect opportunity to run away- not that I would have let her get far- but it would not have been a desirable event. She had thought that I was truly in danger and had nursed my wounds and me back to health- well, not by herself.

But what could that mean? Surely it was only because she was a kind soul, that much was evident in her eyes. Since the first time I saw her, I knew she wasn't the type of person to leave another behind. Yes, she is skilled in many areas and is far from helpless- but she is not cold.

I heard the door creak and the tell tale signs that she was walking out of my bedroom. She wasn't trying to be quiet. On the contrary, her steps were light (naturally, like every skilled hunter) but brisk as they came down the hallway. I set myself down on the couch where I had been lying the night before and waited for her to emerge.

What I wasn't expecting was for the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on round the corner and come into view. In the back of my mind I already knew she was beautiful, of course. But now, as she stood there- clean- her long blonde tresses had been pulled out of the braid she had had moments ago and now cascaded over her shoulders and down her back, framing both her face and figure. She wasn't smiling or frowning, but instead had a peaceful expression on her face and her eyes sparkled as a sunbeam dance across her face. Her skin glowed in the light.

I looked down at the rich green dress- one of the simplest and yet most beautiful out of the collection- like her. It dipped low into her chest, not as much as I hoped, but it left more of her flesh exposed. Her shoulder blades peaked out under her hair and I stepped forward, realizing I had been dazed before and she had noticed. I self satisfied smirk tugged at the corners of her lips.

Time to change that.

I was now in front of her, staring down into her eyes, the smirk still on her lips.

"You look beautiful" I breathed intentionally "_Caroline_" I added, and her face changed immediately. I slowly raised my hand moved it behind the curtain of her hair, my fingers skimming over her collarbone and that slender neck. I began to push her hair aside, making it a point to keep my fingers in contact with her shoulder as I moved her hair behind it.

To say that I wasn't enjoying this would be a lie. Her breath caught slightly and she froze, not exactly tensing but anticipating. I let my hand slide down the deliciously soft skin of her back, playing with locks of her incredibly soft hair while doing so. It was intoxicating. Her touch, her scent, she was intoxicating.

My fingers trailed down her forearm, slowly sliding my hand into hers. She gasped softly, her eyes darting down in the direction of our intertwined fingers, but quickly looked back up, the confusion evident in her eyes.

"Come, we have work to do" I commanded, my voice low and gruff. I tugged her towards the front door, the fact that she had yet to pull away being very much prominent in my thoughts.

* * *

**So originally I had planned on making Klaus' story a little different, but I decided to keep it the same just so that there wouldn't be any confusion.**

**In other news, we are about half way done with this fic! Sad? I know.**

**But, but, but... I have better news: I already have another Klaroline fanfic planned! It's not going to be as long as this one, it'll probably just be 3-4 chapters, but it's going to be entertaining.**

**And, and, and... it'll give me some time to write/plan my next BIG fic! It's going to be on Klaroline (of course) and I still have yet to work out details but I have a general idea.**

**I'll give you more information as we come to the closing of We Are the Same, but just know- there is more to come.**

**Next chapter will be a bit longer because we go back to the village and see how everyone is reacting to Caroline's disappearance. And maybe what happened to Bill...**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: Thank you to Aaaammber, KatieDesignerShades, SONY (Guest), DreamsBeatReality, oehret, and Coolgirl1015 for reviewing! And of course I'd also like to thank those who favorited and reviewed 3**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey, everyone!**

**WHO ELSE WAS RAGING DURING 4X20? I WAS.**

**I mean seriously...Haley getting pregnant with Klaus's kid? Major WTF moment. After that scene, I just couldn't handle the rest of the episode. And Camille? Ughhhhhh.**

**The only thing that made the episode worthwhile was Joseph Morgan was on screen 95% of the time, and that he called Caroline at the end (I mean did you see his smile, and his dimples!)**

**Alright, my mini rant is over. I could go on for hours.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"But we already gathered a ton of firewood yesterday!" I complained as he stepped away from me and picked up the ax, heading towards the forest.

"It's almost winter and out here it gets pretty cold this time of the year" He walked closer to the edge.

I panicked. He was going to leave and he was going to leave me there. Alone.

"What do you want me to do?" I blurted out, hoping he would suggest I go with him, or give me something to keep busy.

"Start bringing in some water. There are basins in the kitchen. When I come back, you'll help me with the wood." And just like that, he left.

"Alright," I whispered to myself and walked into the house, quickly finding the basins in the kitchen. There were four- three of them were completely empty. I grabbed a pot and walked back out to the lake. Once I was at the edge, I pulled my hair back and hiked the dress up on my hip, taking a bunch of the fabric and tucking it into the waistband of the dress. The shorter hem offered more movement.

Not an hour later, all three basins were filled almost to the brim. I walked back outside and found that the sun was now at its highest point, marking the middle of the day. I looked around but found no sign of Klaus.

I heard a soft neigh come from behind the house, and I tensed for a moment. I remembered that Spade was still in the back where I had left him the night before.

Was it only last night?

I picked up the pot I had been using to carry in water and walked over to the lake, scooping up a decent amount. Spade must have been thirsty because he hadn't had any water in about two days.

He had his head out the window of his stable, and started neighing and whining once he saw me.

"Hey there, boy" I said in a soothing voice, opening the latch on his gate and leading him out. I placed the pot in front of him and he leaned down, lapping up the water. I few minutes later, there was basically nothing in the pot, and I lead him back to his stable.

Now in the light of day and with no hassle, I looked around the little wooden structure and found that in was equipt with all the basic necessities for keeping a horse.

I picked out a large brush and began to run it through Spade's mane and coat. He neighed happily, glad to be getting some attention.

I spent another good hour brushing through Spade's hair, ridding it of all the grime and dirt that had accumulated over the past weeks.

As I started walking out of his stable and closing the gate, I caught sight of something in the corner- my bag. My bag with the sword and ax. My mind wandered for a moment but I quickly turned to find Klaus standing in the path leading to the front of the house, a strange look in his eyes.

"You're back" I stated, walking passed him and to the impending chores.

"Yes, and you were where you weren't supposed to be" He said from behind me, the anger evident in his tone.

"I didn't realize I was prohibited from visiting my own horse"

"You weren't- until yesterday"

I stopped abruptly and turned to him. "You can't tell me want to do" I said, venom dripping from my words.

"Yes, I can. You're my prisoner" He matched my tone, stepping closer and looking down at me.

"So we're back to this," I said, exasperated, throwing my hands up "You treating me like your prisoner?"

"Yes, you obviously cannot spend an hour by yourself without attempting to escape!" He yelled back.

"I was not attempting to escape!"

"Then what were you doing in the stables?"

"Brushing my horse! I finished filling the basins an hour ago and decided to make use of my time!"

"That's impossible." He said suddenly disappearing. I had already gotten used to that. He could move so fast that it would appear as though he just vanished into thin air. There was a short gust of wind and he was in front of my again.

I raised and eyebrow, placing my hands on my hips and letting out an annoyed huff.

"How did you do that so fast?" He said, referring to the water basin task.

"I do chores, you know. It is just me and my father in our cabin and he works all day, so things need to get done." I closed my point by simply turning towards the impressive amount of wood he had brought back. I untucked the hem of my skirt from the waistband of the dress, only to pull up one side, tying it at about mid thigh.

I picked up the axe that had been set next to the chopping block and set up a log. First I removed the stray twigs from its sides and then, with one swift motion, chopped the log in half. I repeated the action for a few more logs, acutely aware of the fact that Klaus had not moved from his spot. he stood there, watching me go about my work.

He had not been far off when he accused me of trying to escape. The idea had crossed my mind when he was absent, and only grew when I saw my bag and Spade. But the memory of him in the woods (the wolves in the woods), just the night before, quickly erased my plans. He had caught up to me so easily, and had taken on those beasts quickly. Someone like me wouldn't be much of a challenge, especially in broad daylight.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I caught sight of him moving and grabbing some logs, setting them along the wall of the cottage like I had been doing the before. At the pace that we were going, we finished in less than an hour and ended up by the dge of the lake, eating apples.

He cleared his throat.

'I'm, uh..." He started, looking anywhere but my face. "I'm sorry for accusing you"

"Apology accepted" I said, smiling when he turned towards me, a semi-shocked expression on his face. We sat in silence for a few more minutes.

"I have a proposal" I said aloud, breaking the comfortable silence.

"A proposal?" He asked, intrigued.

"yes"

"Alright, let's hear it" He said, turning so that he was facing my completely, crossing his legs. I sat in a simialr position, but with one leg bet and the other one extended.

"I propose that we start off fresh. A clean, well semi-clean slate, from now on"

"Semi-clean?"

"Yes"  
"Why not completely clean?"

"Well you can't expect me to forget everything, now can you?"

"You can try..." He muttered under his breath.

I waited as he tapped his chin with his index finger, before he stood up and said "No, no deal."

"What?" I shrieked, standing up as well.

"This proposal lacks meat, love" He said, his too-blue eyes shining in the sunlight as he looked down at me.

"Fine," I racked my brain for something that would interest him 'You don't want me to escape, right? So a semi-clean slate with no attempts of departure, if-" Pause for dramatic effect "And only if we become friends" I finished, satisfied with the offer.

"I was already promised that you would stay unconditionally once, and that promise was easily broken"

"Yes, but that was because you were acting like a jerk!"

"A jerk? That is no way to start a friendship" He said, placing a hand over his heart and made a show of being offended.

"Well potential friends tell potential friends when they're acting like jerks" I shot back. "Now," I held out my hand "semi-clean slate, friendship included, no escape attempts guaranteed"

"I'm still the one keeping you alive" He sneered while sliding his hand into mine 'So don't even think about crossing the line, sweetheart"

"My name is Caroline" I said, making it sound like an introduction but at the same time chastising him for using one of his nicknames for me.

"Niklaus" He replied, smirking as he realized what I had done. He leaned down and placed his lips on my knuckles.

"It is an honor to make your acquaintance, sweet Caroline" He purred, his breath tickling my skin.

"Ditto" I said curtly and turned towards the cottage, his mesmerizing laugh echoing through the clearing.

* * *

"No way!" I exclaimed, wide eyed and at the verge of a laugh attack as he finished his story.

"It's true, darling. And all I could think of doing was grabbing the book, throwing the priest over my shoulders and getting the heck out of that brothel" He said, concluding his story on one of his ventures.

I began to laugh, holding my side as I fell over on the couch. The laughter died down into giggles and I breathed, trying to control myself. Bust as soon as my composure was restored, I looked back at Klaus who had a smile plastered on his face as he sipped his alcohol, and I broke out into another bout of laughs. This time, he joined in, laughing along with me.

I relaxed again and looked again- he was staring at me, a strange gleam in his eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"Your laugh, your smile- it's infectious"

"Oh" I said, surprised by his revelation. My cheeks began to get warmer and I knew that soon they would be an annoying shade of pink. I hoped that the dim lighting in the room would cover it.

"Thank you" I said quietly as I stood up and cleared our plates. We had finished dinner in the living room as he told stories of places where he had been. He had traveled across many countries and had had many adventures.

I cleaned the silverware and tidied both the kitchen and the dining room, desperately trying to stall so that I wouldn't have to return so soon. Being around him made me uneasy- I didn't fear him as much as I had at first, but his moods would change constantly. Anything that I did might set him off.

I sighed, realizing there was only so much cleaning and organizing one could do before it got suspicious.

I walked back into the living room where he sat, still nursing his drink. I sat across from him, tucking my feet under myself and sitting back into the plush cushions of the couch.

I let out a quiet yawn, not realizing that I had done so until Klaus had gotten up and placed his glass on the table..

"Come on, you must be tired"

"I'm not tired" I protested, but another yawn escaped me.

"You were saying?" He quipped.

"Well, maybe a little" I said, holding up my fingers a short distance apart to make my point. He chuckled and turned into the hallway.

I sat back on the couch and made myself comfortable, fluffing the cushions and stretching out my legs. While I was going through the motions of getting ready for bed, he walked into the room again.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to sleep..." I said.

"Oh, you are not sleeping on the couch" He said, stepping towards me and grabbing my hand, pulling me up.

"Hey!" I protested and he turned around to face me "You don't have to man handle me all the time".

He let go of my hand while a smirk played on his lips. He stepped aside and motioned for me to go ahead in front of him, so I did.

We got to the fork in the hallway again and he opened the door to the bedroom we had been in earlier in the day. I stepped in and walked towards the bed, running my hand along the luscious covers, it's softness causing my eyelids to droop.

"Have at it, sweetheart" He said, stepping in through the threshold of the room and proceeding to taking off his boots.

"Really?"

"Yes"

"But, my feet" I said, looking down at my dirty feet. Not long ago, I would wear slippers all the time. But on the journey here I had gotten used to not having them on, and it didn't even hurt to be barefoot anymore. My feet were almost always dirty, and it didn't matter before.

But as I saw the cream bed sheets peaking out from under the royal blue covers, I couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

"That is not a problem" He said, flashing out of the room and reappearing with a cloth and a pot filled with water.

He stepped forward and placed the pot in front of me. he reached forward and placed both of his hands on my hips, gently pushing me back so that I was sitting on the bad. He then proceeded to washing my feet and drying them, all his movements deliberately slow and gentle.

When he finished he flashed away again with the cloth and pot. I began to settle into the bad, pulling back the covers and fluffing the pillows, climbing in and relaxing every muscle.

That is until I felt the other side of the bed sink slightly.

"What are you doing?" I repeated his question from earlier, watching as he made himself comfortable between the covers.

"Going to bed" He smirked.

"But-bu-" I started to stutter for the second time in his presence. I had never stuttered in my life until I met him. "But we cannot sleep in the same bed!" I finished.

"Your point being?"

"I am not a tramp" I deadpanned.

"We are not going to do anything, Caroline"

"Still-"

"Fine," he held up one hand to stop me "I'll take the couch" He started getting up.

"What? No this is your room, your bed."

"It is fine" He said calmly.

"No, it is not" I said, grabbing his arm when he passed my side. I realized he wasn't wearing a shirt anymore. I took a deep breath and shook my head, willing myself to look at his face and not his perfectly chiseled chest and strong arms. "You can sleep here" I sighed and released my hold on his arm.

"Are you sure?" I nodded and he stepped back around the bad to his side.

"Don't try anything" I said, trying my best to look menacing and serious.

"I won't" He said as he settled back into bed. I did the same, turning so that my back faced him.

"Good night, Klaus" I said.

"Good night, Caroline" He said quietly.

After that I tried to fall asleep, but although I was exhausted, I couldn't, and I knew it was because I had something nagging at me.

"Klaus?" I whispered, turning to face him. He was laying face up, his eyes closed with one hand behind his head and the other resting across his stomach. "Klaus" I whispered again.

"Yes, sweetheart" He said, his eyes still closed.

"Can I ask you something?" At this he opened his eyes and turned so that he was facing me as well.

"Of course"

"How old are you?" I inquired. It had been bothering me since he had told me his stories. All his adventures (or at least the ones he had told me) would have taken a long time to go through. He looked to be in his twenties, but with everything he did, he should be older.

That, coupled with the fact that he was half vampire- an immortal creature- would beg the question of his age.

"Twenty-six" He said easily. I shook my head, know that he would lie.

"I meant your real age,not how old you look" I said, and he tensed, knowing that he had been caught.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious" I said, shrugging casually. He seemed to think about it for a second before he answered.

"I've been twenty-six for one hundred and forty-seven years" He said, and I felt my eyes grow wide, my mouth drop open.

I couldn't say anything, I was at a loss for words. I let the idea sink in and I found myself nodding slightly, like as if it was something normal.

He stared at me, watching my reaction, but I still couldn't figure out what to say.

So I just smiled slightly and adjusted my pillow, falling asleep soon after.

* * *

I looked up as I saw heard the front door open and Elena came bursting through.

"Has there been any news?" I asked, tying together a bunch of echinacea and putting it on the pile of already prepared herbs.

"Nothing, everyone is still talking about it but no one will do anything about it." She said, sitting down on the chair next to mine.

"It has been thirteen days! Why isn't anyone doing anything?" I said, frustrated.

"Bonnie, what if-"

"No, Elena. Don't even say it" I sighed and stood up, pacing around the room "There has to be something we can do! Caroline and her father are out in the woods! There-" I looked up and out the shop window. Everyone was running in the same direction, making a commotion.

"What's going on?" Elena asked and moved towards the door, I followed close behind.

We looked outside and saw everyone moving towards the lumber yards, shouting instructions at one another. We started to follow the crowd to find a large group of men huddled at the edge of the woods next to the lumber yard.

We started running, shoving past anyone who got in our way as we tried to make it to the center of the huddle. We ducked into gaps and pushed past the men until we reached the center, a bloody and bruised Bill Forbes lay in the center.

"Bill!" I rushed forward, kneeling down next to him. He had his eyes closed but he was still breathing. I looked around for any serious injuries, but they all seemed superficial.

"Well don't just stand there! Get him up and to my shop!" I said to the men. They had been staring at him the whole time, not knowing what to do. Now they began to move him, and a few minutes later, I had a makeshift cot set up in the back of the shop.

I looked around for herbs and remedies as Elena did the same. Two of his co-workers stayed to help us with anything we needed, and were now sitting on the floor next to Bill.

About an hour later, I went back to check on him. He was still sound asleep. I cleaned his cuts and put a healing paste on them, wrapping them all in cloth. He ended up almost completely covered in cloth from head to toe.

I began to clean up and Elena came in with some tea, handing each of Bill's co-workers and I a cup, then going over to try and get some into Bill's system.

While she was doing so, he began to cough. I rushed over to his side, grabbing his shoulder as he tried to sit up.

"Bill, you are hurt. You need to lay down and get some rest" His eyes were open and looked around the room, confusion clear across his features.

"Where am I?" He croaked, his voice raw.

"You're in the Bennett Shop. You came crawling out of the woods this morning." One of his co-workers said. Bill looked over his friend.

"Logan? What am I doing here? Why was I in the woods?" He said, even more confused than before. Everyone looked at each other, all of us equally confused.

"Bill, what was the last thing you remember?" Elena asked. He stayed quiet for a second.

"I-I was with Caroline. I told her that I would have to go into the woods the next day, and then I went to bed" He said.

"Bill-" I started, not sure how to tell him "Bill, you've been missing for two weeks-"

"And Caroline went missing a day later" Everyone turned to the voice at the door of the room, watching as Tyler Lockwood stepped forward.

* * *

**The whole Tyler coming in at the end thing wasn't supposed to make it a cliffhanger, so don't worry about him.**

**I'll try and update the next chapter soon but I can't promise anything because I'm planning on making it pretty lengthy, so it'll take a while.**

**Bye for now!**

**P.S.: Thank you Aaaammber, oehert, SkyBlue1309, SONY (Guest), CoolGirl1015, and beautyifullove12345 for reviewing, and to those who favorited and followed!**

**P.P.S.: Haley is annoying.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone!**

**First of all- yes, I am alive. **

**Second of all- yes, I know I'm late. I promised I would update by the 17th, and it is the 25th- BUT I have a perfectly good explanation. Let's just say that our of the two AP tests I had to take, one was invalidated. Not necessarily because anyone was caught cheating, but because our desks were facing the wrong way ._. I know right? So my AP Gov test was invalidated and I had to retake it this past Thursday.**

**But the good thing is that I'm back! I hit a sort of "block" when I sat down and tried to write on Thursday and Friday, so I spent quite a lot of time yesterday rereading the story and planning out this chapter and today I forced myself to sit and write until I finished.**

**WARNING: I did not proofread this chapter. Usually I write a whole chapter and then reread it to make sure I have everything down and no grammatical errors or anything, but I knew that if I did that for this chapter, I wouldn't publish it today. Not because the process takes a long time, but because I'd probably be so appalled with my writing that I would start all over again.**

**So, sorry in advance.**

* * *

I took in a deep breath and slowly opened my eyes, the warmth that surrounded me beckoned me to go back to sleep. But as my eyes began to adjust to the dimly lit room, I realized that I wasn't in either the dungeon or in living room.

As I began to rack my mind for any indication of why I was here, I remembered the few minutes before I had fallen asleep.

I brought my hand up to rub my eyes as I took a deep breath. When I dropped my hand again, it did not hit the soft sheets of the bed, but rather, something hard and smooth.

I looked down and noticed my position- I was completely entangled with Klaus. I had my head on his chest and my right hand draped across his torso. He had one arm wrapped around my waist while the other one rested behind his head, our legs were completely tangled under the royal blue cover.

I pushed myself up as much as I could and looked around, trying to make my movements as slow and gentle as possible so that I wouldn't wake him up. I began to shift my legs, but after a few small movements, he shifted, and the hand that had been resting behind his head came down and on top of my right hand (which I had kept on his chest to support myself).

All of my muscles clenched and I held my breath for a few seconds, but he had stopped moving and had not woken up.

I must have stayed frozen like that for a few minutes because when I tried to relax, my muscles felt sore. I couldn't hold myself up any longer, so I slowly settled back into his chest. I tried to shift a little bit so that I wouldn't be completely on top of him, but his grip was strong and there was no way to get out.

I sighed, resting my head on his chest in defeat.

I stayed awake for about an hour, breathing slowly and just listening to his steady heartbeat. Stronger rays of light had creeped through the curtains, giving the room a warm glow.

I had resorted to drawing patterns on his chest out of boredom. It was amazing how smooth and warm he was, but muscular and lean at the same time.

Again, I lifted myself up to look at his face, only to find that he already had his eyes open.

"Good morning, sweetheart" He said with a smirk.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked, still shocked.

"Since before you were awake."

"You were awake this whole time?" I asked, pulling away even more. His arm fell away from my waist, but he kept his hand flat against the small of my back. He grinned even wider, and I punched him in the shoulder.

"Ouch!" He said, rubbing his shoulder. 'What was that for?"

"That was for being a jerk," I punched his shoulder again.

"And that?" He raised his voice and pushed himself up so that we were both sitting incredibly close.

"Because hitting you the first time felt good!" I raised my own voice to match his tone and stared him down.

He narrowed his eyes at me and a dangerous look crossed his eyes. I started to regret hitting him, and realized that I was in a very vulnerable position to be challenging him.

He chuckled, his eyes returning to normal.

"Is that so?" He asked and faster than I could realize, his hands reached out to grab me by the waist.

I shrieked and wiggled out of his grasp, giggling uncontrollably before clasping my hand over my mouth.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." I said, much too quickly and regretting it instantly.

"Caroline," He started, mischief playing across his features "Are you ticklish?" He asked already knowing the answer.

I shook my head and backed up a bit more until I felt that I was at the edge of the bed.

"I think you are" He said, edging closer. I leaned back even more, shaking my head.

He lunged forward and grabbed my waist again, throwing my back into the center of the huge bed. I laughed out loud as his fingers danced around my waist, across my stomach, over my rib cage.

"Kl-klaus!" I laughed again and tried to talk, but he wouldn't stop "St-stop! Klaus!" I couldn't help the giggles and bouts of laughter that hit me every time.

A few seconds later he stopped and my laughter died down. I took that as my chance and lunged forward, knocking him back.

I tried to find a spot on his torso that would make him laugh like I did, but he barely chuckled.

"I'm not ticklish, sweetheart"

"What? No, you have to be ticklish somewhere" I said as a felt around a bit more to no avail.

"Turn around" I instructed and he chuckled as he turned so that he was face down on the bed.

I started feeling around again. When I came close to a spot on his spine he shivered and I smiled triumphantly.

"Ticklish?" I said, feeling a victory coming on.

"No, it just felt nice"

"Oh," I said, running my fingers over the same spot "There?" He nodded and I began tracing my fingers up and down his spine. He seemed to relax and I continued the motion for a couple of moments.

"Do we have anything to do today?" I asked softly, breaking the silence. I heard him sigh and he pushed himself up so that he was sitting again.

"No, we have nothing to do today."

"Alright" I said, playing with my fingers.

"What would you like to do?" He asked, catching me off guard. I regarded him for a second, checking if he was joking, which apparently he wasn't.

"Well..." I started, thinking of something I needed to do. I looked down at my hands, catching a glimpse of my tangled hair and dirty dress. "I'd really like to bathe."

"Then bathe," He said simply "There is a lake out front that you can use"

"Yes, but-" I kept my head down to hide the faint blush I knew must have been appearing on my cheeks. I had bathed before, but that was when I was sure he had not been conscious and could not watch. Now he was wide awake and would know what I was doing.

"I promise I won't look" He said, reading my mind. I looked up, torn.

"How can I trust you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"When I promise something, I do not break that promise" He said seriously. I regarded him carefully, choosing to believe him.

"Alright," I said, getting up and out of the room glancing at him a few times, but he stayed put.

When I reached the lake, I hesitated a moment before looking back at the cottage. I couldn't see him through any of the windows and the door was closed.

I quickly pulled my dress over my head and dropped it onto a nearby rock, slowly stepping towards the water. I took one last look back at the cottage before stepping in completely.

The water wasn't nearly as cold as I thought it would be- probably because the sun had been out for a couple of hours, warming the water. I would have been up earlier if it hadn't been for Klaus keeping me in bed for so long.

I was already all the way into the lake, and soon the water became too deep and I had to start swimming to stay afloat. When I reached what seemed to be the center, I took a deep breath and sank into the water.

I began scrubbing my arms and legs, then running my fingers through my scalp. Soon the burning in my chest indicated that I needed to come up for air. I kicked my feet and swam upwards, reaching the surface and taking a deep breath.

I moved my arms and kicked my legs, moving through the water slowly.

A breeze blew through the clearing and the leaves ruffled. Once again I was captured by the beauty of the woods- the green leaves and the vibrant flower and the way that every plant seemed to glow in the sun. The air was fresh and smelled of dew and grass.

As I was looking around I heard the unmistakable sound of a splash behind me. I whipped around but there was nothing there, nothing except a new set of clothes set next to my dress on the rock.

I looked down at the water, now frozen where I was. I moved my legs around to stay afloat but my muscles had become stiff.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" I heard Klaus's very close behind me and I spun around quickly to see that he was in the water as well, only a few feet away from me. His hair was damp and his skin glistened with droplets of water.

"Klaus!" I shrieked, trying to get away from him "What are you doing here!" my voice got higher with every word, my face got warmer with every second and I tried to cover as much of my body as possible.

"I'm bathing" He said, shrugging, his arms moved beneath the surface of the water as he tried to stay afloat as well.

"But-bu-" I began to stutter again "But you promised!"

"Oh, no. I promised I would not look and I have not looked. I never said anything about bathing" He smirked, surely feeling smug.

I sighed in defeat, pushing away from him even more.

"Just, stay away from me" I said aggravated. I wanted to get out right at that moment but I didn't want him to see me...indecent.

I turned so that my back was facing him and edged closer toward my dress.

I did it slowly so that hopefully he would not see and it took me around ten minutes to finally have my feet touching the ground. I had been looking over my shoulder almost the whole time and he had not been looking at me at all.

I took my opportunity to get closer to the edge, but just as I was about to step out completely, something next to my dress caught my attention.

A large black snake slithered around, its pink forked tongue slipped passed its lips. I froze again, the water level was around my waist.

I panicked, not knowing what to do.

"Klaus," I said in a low whisper, trying not to make a move or sound that would attract the creature

"Klaus," I repeated, trying hard to stay calm but failing miserable once the snake slithered closer to the water. It stuck its head into the water and its body slid in soon after. My breath became heavy and I took a small step back.

"Klaus!" I yelled out, not bothering to whisper anymore. The snake was close now and moving toward me, but I was so paralyzed with fear that I couldn't move anymore.

I immediately felt hands wrap around my waist and pull me backwards away from the snake. Then, I watched as Klaus grabbed it and threw it back toward land, flashing away and returning with a large rock, quickly slamming it into its head multiple times. The snake's body twitched a few times, then lay limp.

Klaus was moving again, disposing of the carcass. I stayed back in the water, sinking deeper in so that it covered me once again.

I heard him shuffling around so I looked to the side so that I wouldn't be looking at him. I had forgotten that he was naked because I had been caught up with the snake, but as soon as I remembered my cheeks began to get hotter and hotter.

"You can turn around now" I heard him call out and I turned my head to see him completely clothed. He was buttoning his chemise and pulling on a pair of boots. I waited until he was finished and turned toward the cottage.

I slowly came out and pulled my dress on, wringing out my hair and braiding it out of my face.

I walked toward the cottage, the fact that I had been next to a naked Klaus, and he had had his hands wrapped around my waist- even if it had happened for a fraction of a second- had some unwanted side effects. The warm feeling at the pit of my stomach had returned.

He was working around the kitchen, taking out food and setting it on the table. I stepped in slowly and leaned against the wall, just watching him go about his work, memories of us in bed that morning and a few minutes ago in the lake flashed in my mind and I closed my eyes and shook my head to get rid of them.

"Lunch is ready, Caroline" His voice rang out through the room and I looked up at him. He was standing next to the table where a small feast had been served. I took a few steps forward and he moved aside to pull out my seat. I sat down and he walked around to his own seat which was right next to mine.

There was a plate of fruits, bread and cheese in front of me. It seemed he had recently gone hunting because there was also meat on my plate.

"Would you like anything to drink?" He asked and I shook my head, grabbing some bread and cheese off of my plate.

We ate in silence though I wasn't sure if it was an awkward silence or a comfortable silence.

I finished off the rest of my meal and sat back, completely satisfied with the food. I heard Klaus clear his throat and I looked up at him again.

"Um..." He started, shifting in his seat for a second before meeting my eyes. He had seemed nervous before but now he seemed to have relaxed a bit more "I am sorry for going out to bathe with you without your permission. It was disrespectful and...I'm sorry" He finished, looking down at his hands.

I stayed quiet, kind of surprised at why he was apologizing after looking so smug.

"Well, if you hadn't been there I would have gotten hurt, so there is no need to apologize" I said matter of factly. An even more dejected and embarrassed look crossed his features and I realized that he had to try really hard to apologize, and I had brushed it off.

I reached over and covered his hand, which was now on the table, with one of mine. He looked up and I smiled.

"But thank you, for apologizing. And for saving me- again"

He smiled as well. Not a smirk, but a genuine smile. And it was beautiful.

* * *

We cleaned up after lunch and then ended up in the parlor again. I had grabbed a bottle of

gin and a glass for myself- Caroline was not much of a drinker. She sat quietly, playing with a string at the front of her dress. I looked down at my glass, every once in a while sneaking glances at her and admiring the beautiful creature that sat in front of me.

The dress was one of the ones she had borrowed from me, the emerald one. I had taken in the sight of her briefly when she first put it on (other thoughts distracted me by how she actually looked in the dress). Now as I looked at her, really looked at her, I realized she was much more beautiful than I thought.

Her skin was nicely tanned, not exactly porcelain but not olive either. She had untied her hair and it now fell in golden waves over her shoulders. The dress allowed showed off her curves- her hips, waist and breast. And finally, those two green orbs shining in the fire light.

She shifted and I looked down at my drink once again so that she wouldn't notice me blatantly staring at her.

I shifted as well, settling back in my seat. I noticed her glancing at me too and held back a smirk so that she wouldn't know I knew.

Having her look at me at all made me uneasy. She had this way about her that was common amongst people of her family, although she may not know it yet.

She was a Council member after all. I knew from the start that her father was a member; the band he wore around his wrist was that of a member. I also knew that she didn't know because although she saw the band around my wrist, she did not identify me as a fellow member.

Another clue was her cloak. I had noticed at first, but decided it was impossible because people of her kind-more like women of her kind- did not exist anymore- they had all been taken care of years ago.

But if she had to cloak, that meant she was a descendent, and I had to be careful what I did around her, or else it would trigger her instincts. She already knew how to hunt, what she didn't know was why she was taught how to hunt.

I was brought back to reality when Caroline shifted again, stretching her feet out in front of her and doing the same with her arms.

"Klaus, do we really have nothing to do today? I'm getting bored" She said, finishing her sentence with a whine. I smirked at her childish behavior and thought about anything that might need to get done- we had enough wood and water, I had gone hunting recently and there was no way I was taking her into the woods. When nothing came to mind I decided to take a new approach.

"What do you do in your spare time, sweetheart?" She looked off into space, a look I had recognized to be her thinking look.

"I clean-" She paused and we both looked around the cottage, noticing that it was already clean "I cook, read-" She began again before I interrupted her.

"You read?" I said, my voice reflecting my shock.

"Yes" She snapped clearly irritated.

"Oh I'm sorry, Caroline, I didn't mean it as an insult. I simply just haven't met more than a handful of women who can read" I said, chuckling at the appalled face she had pulled.

"Well I can" She said, folding her arms folding her arms over her chest.

"Then I believe I have found a cure for your boredom" I said, standing up in one swift motion and walking over to her, holding my hand out.

She took it without hesitation and I tried not to read too much into it. I had also noticed that she hadn't complained about my terms of endearments toward her- her walls were slowly coming down.

I walked us through the hallway and straight toward the door that was in the middle, but before I opened it, I turned to Caroline.

"Close your eyes"

"What?"

"Just close your eyes" She tilted her head, an inquisitive look on her face. "Trust me, Caroline"

At that her gazed softened and I could see the small conflict going on inside of her, but she closed her eyes.

"Alright, my eyes are closed"

I smiled and opened the door, guiding her through until we were inside.

"Can I open them now?"

"One second" I said, flashing over to the curtains and yanking them open, letting light flow into the room. I usually kept them closed because I would only work here at night and I would light candles. But with the sun out, I thought she would like it better that way.

"Alright," I said, flashing next to her and leaning down to whisper in her ear "You can open them now"

Her eyelids flutter and revealed her beautiful emerald eyes as they widened to take in the sight of the room. She gasped, her mouth popping open.

This was my favorite room in the house- the study. One half was the library while the other half was my art studio (which was hidden behind a large curtain).

"Klaus-" She started, stepping forward toward one of the shelves and looking at the books. Her hand reached out and slid over the spine of a couple of volumes before she picked one out.

She looked around, finding the love seat in the middle of the room and dropping down in it immediately, tucking her feet under herself and opening the book to the first page.

I chuckled, noticing that she never finished her statement out of excitement. I walked to the nearest shelf and grabbed the first book I touched, walked over to the chair in front of her and pulling open the book.

I looked at her while she read. She was completely immersed in the book- flipping the pages excitedly, her eyes darting across the page as she read every line, sometimes going over the same line to reread what one character had said.

She had picked out an adventure novel, one I had read multiple times over. I looked down at the book in my hands, still on page one, and noticed it was one of my personal diaries- from about seventy years ago.

I looked at the scrawling on the page, skimming over a few words.

_Finally, my quest is complete. I set out about a decade ago to complete it, and finally, I have._

_The pack of werewolves I found turned out to be quite submissive- once they recognized their superiors. I had to challenge multiple alphas in order to get to where I am today, but it was all worth it- I am finally their leader._

I skipped a couple of pages to the next entry.

_Another pack has joined today. I only had to challenge one alpha before they all pledged themselves to me. They came into the woods this afternoon and settled in the camp._

_I now have over two hundred members, and as generations pass, that number will increase- I am certain._

I flipped a couple of pages, finding the final entry.

_They have come today. They entered the woods at nightfall and wiped out almost half of my pack, leaving me with barely one hundred wolves._

_I had felt something was wrong when that new village formed, just at the edge of the woods. At first it was only a few men, travelling I had guessed. They settled on the river side and stayed for a couple of days, then left._

_But not a fortnight later, a larger group of people came. That was one I had realized they were scouters, looking for a place for their families to settle._

_Within the year, they had cottages and stores up and running._

_I disregarded them then- villages were established all the time._

_But an uneasy feeling still hung in the air. I pushed it away, and began the task of training my pack, making sure that they turned safely during the full moon and know not to venture far from the center of the woods._

_Then it happened- they attacked. LiKe I said, they caught us at nightfall when we weren't alert, and precisely during the time when the men were their weakest._

_They were merciless, slaughtering about one hundred and wounding another twenty or so. Some of them wore all black, while other wore a red cloak._

_When the night was over, they retreated. We had managed to kill some of them and seriously injure others._

_This morning took the task of looking them over and found that only the women warriors wore the red cloaks, but all of them had a band around their wrist. The symbol on each wasn't exactly the same, but they resembled one another._

_I look around at my men today and find them grieving over the loss of their brothers, wives and children- we will have our revenge._

"Klaus," I heard Caroline from where she was sitting, but didn't respond- lost in a memory.

"Klaus," She said a while later and I felt her hand grip my shoulder. The contact made me look at her. The room was dim now and I looked out the window to see it was almost nightfall.

"Klaus" She said again and I closed the book in my hand, standing up and putting it back in its place on the shelf. When I turned around she was looking at me with a strange face.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just..." I thought of something to say, but couldn't come up with anything but the truth "I was just lost in a memory"

She nodded, rocking on her feet in her place. She looked around the room, her eyes lingering on the curtain.

"What's that?" She said, stepping toward it, her hand reaching out to pull the curtain open.

I flashed forward and put myself between her and the curtain.

"Nothing" I said.

"Oh, come on Klaus" She said, trying to reach the curtain again. I grabbed her hand, leaning forward so that our eyes were level, my voice dropping.

"Listen to me carefully, Caroline" I started and she looked at nothing but me, sensing the shift in mood "You are allowed in this room as much as you like, but you will not even think of touching this curtain. Understood?" I realized I was trying to compel her, and the look in her eyes almost made me believe that it had worked. But then she pulled her head back, still looking at me.

She looked at the curtain behind me, then looked at me, seeming to weigh her options before finally nodding. It wasn't the nod of someone who was compelled, but at least she acknowledged the threat.

I lead her out to the parlor then and we fell into our routine, or at least I thought it was a routine. We ate, sat in the parlor and talked until she got tired, then went to bed. She was tired, so she didn't even complain when I laid down in bed next to her.

She had been asleep for a while now and I had yet to even blink. I looked at her face, so peaceful in her sleep- she really did look like an angel.

I reached over and ran my fingers over the soft flesh over her cheek, letting my gaze slide down to her lips.

The urge to grab her and kiss her had been ever present since the moment I saw her. I had been used to getting my way with women for years, but she was different. She challenged me at every step, every instant that she got, and never gave into her attraction to me. She had been battling it from the moment she first saw me, but it was there, and it meant I had a chance.

I pulled my hand away and lay back, closing my eyes and thinking of nothing but Caroline until I drifted to sleep.

* * *

**Food for thought:**

**Why is Klaus in the woods?**

**Who does the red cloak belong to?**

**What's behind the curtain?**

**I kinda feel like this is a filler chapter, but not really because there are some details that are given that are kinda bringing the story together. I decided that from this chapter on, a new secret will be revealed with each chapter. And there are a few secrets, or revelations, whatever you wanna call them.**

**Soooo last chapter I kinda told you guys that I was planning on doing a few more Klaroline stories. I started writing the first one, planning out the second one, and thinking up the third (and biggest) one. The first ones are sort of short, but not really. The last one is going to be long, like longer-than-this-one-is-going-to-be long.**

**WAIT, DON'T LEAVE!**

**I debated on whether to tell you guys this but I decided that now is a good a time as any.**

**I'm planning on making a website, specifically for my stories. It'll just give you guys more info on the stories and pictures so that you know what some of the settings and stuff look like, and I might even add a blog so that I can keep you updated on what's going on. Soooo tell me what you think!**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed! You guys are the reason why I didn't proofread this chapter :)**

**P.P.S.: My heart almost popped out of my chest during the season finale. Like, can Klaus get any more perfect? Probably yes.**


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey, everyone!**

**Yes, I'm alive.**

**I'm really sorry for not updating in so long but life kinda got in the way! **

**Also, I've actually had this chapter ready for a while, but I've had to edit it and fix it so that it was good enough to put up. I would never put up a half assed chapter because I don't think it's fair to you guys.**

**So enjoy!**

* * *

It had been a month since Klaus had shown me his library. After that day, we seemed to have an unspoken agreement to have a better relationship.

We had a sort of routine set for everyday, and we hardly had to talk to understand what we wanted to say to each other. Not that we didn't talk, we actually talked a lot.

I told him about Elena and Katherine and Bonnie. I talked to him about Tyler and Matt and one time even about my father. I tried to get him to talk about his family but it always seemed to be a touchy subject.

And although he doesn't trust me enough to tell me about his past, he trusts me enough to leave me alone in the cabin.

He explained to me one night while we were getting ready for bed that he needed to feed every so often. I of course already knew that as a vampire he would need to have blood eventually.

But when he did leave he would only be gone for a couple of hours, hours which I would spend in the library reading or thinking.

I thought about my father- was he still alive? I had the same feeling I had had when he disappeared, the feeling that had told me he was alive, but this time I could not chase after him. I had made a promise to Klaus afterall.

But the lines were blurring; On the outside I always tried to remain indifferent and stick to the pretext that I was only there because of a promise. That facade was always forgotten as soon as he smiled. Each say he was more of a gentleman. We shared laughs and good moments, not to mention we were always together.

"Ugh!" I said out loud as I pushed myself off the bed.

I had woken up alone, something I hadn't had to face in over a month. Every morning I would wake up with Klaus by my side, and it was weird not having him there.

I knew it shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did, but having him leave without saying goodbye hurt. A little. All he had left was a note, explaining in his meticulous scripture that he had to leave earlier than expected because a storm was fast approaching and that he would try to return as soon as possible.

I walked to the kitchen barefoot, all the while combing through my unruly curly hair with my fingers. I stopped fussing with my hair to grab a slice of bread. When I turned to the parlor, I noticed that the curtains were still drawn, but when I opened them, I was met with a dark sky. It reminded me of the storm that had hit when I was journeying here. This one looked like it was going to last much longer.

I closed the curtain again and went to Klaus's library. He had started referring to it as my library because I spent most of my free time there, albeit usually with him.

I opened the curtains, which didn't really help to bring any light into the room. After lighting a few candles around the room, I picked up my book and turned to the page where I had left off, becoming absorbed in the book as I munched on the slice of bread.

After a couple of pages, I looked up and let my gaze drift to the curtain on the far side of the room, the urge to look behind it surfacing again.

The first time I had asked what was behind it, Klaus had all but pushed me out of the room. What kept me intrigued was not only the fact that I wasn't allowed to see what was behind it, but that Klaus seemed to be afraid of me finding out what was behind it.

Without really thinking about it I put my book down and walked over to the curtain. Every other time I had been in here I had wanted to do the same thing. But I was always with Klaus or he would come back from feeding right when I started for the curtain.

But as I reached out and touched the soft fabric of the curtain, the only thing I could hear was the howling wind outside. No doors opening, no boots coming down the hallway.

I was alone.

Without hesitating, I pulled aside the curtain.

What seemed to be a small room stood in front of me. Various paintings hung from the walls, some were propped up against the wall, but either way there were a lot.

The dim lighting from the library filtered in and caught the details of each painting. I stepped in and walked around, looking at the paintings that were on the walls. They were mostly landscape paintings- meadows, fields covered with snow, forests and lakes.

One of the paintings caught my eye- it was of the clearing from the point of view of the cabin's porch.

There was the lake where I would bathe and swim, the stump where we would cut logs and the trees that lined the clearing were identical.

When I looked to the corner of the painting, it was signed with an NM.

All the other paintings were signed NM as well.

I kept looking around, asking myself who the hell NM was. But the bigger question was why Klaus wanted to keep this from me?

I started stepping away from the paintings when I accidentally hit something behind me. I turned to see a couple of papers had fallen to the ground when I hit the side of a table that had been set in the center of the small room.

When I bent down to pick up the paper,s the light once again caught the details on the paper.

A girl. With long curly hair and sparkling eyes looked back at me. It took me a second to realize that the girl was in fact me.

I picked up another paper- me again. I stood and looked at the papers on the table. There were more of them- me sitting on the couch in the parlor, me smiling, me on Spade.

All of them were of me, and they were all utterly beautiful.

At the corner of each page were the letters "NM".

"NM?" I said out loud. Who could NM possibly be?

The only person that had been around to see me during the time that all these portraits had been made was Klaus. And he had said once that his real name was...

"What are you doing in here?" Klaus's voice boomed through the small room and I turned to see him standing next to the curtain. His clothes were dirty- as always- but this time there were tears and cuts on his chemise and pants.

"What happened to you?" I asked, momentarily forgetting where I was and what I was holding.

"You did not answer my question," He began, stepping forward slowly, the sound of his boots hitting the wooden floor echoed through the small space. "What are you doing here?" barked when he stopped on the other side of the table

"Who is NM?"

"That is not the answer I was looking for" He said in a low voice, looking at me like he had the say I found my father in the dungeon.

"Who is NM?" I repeated, looking him straight in the eyes and keeping my voice level.

"You have no business being in here!" He said, his voice raising as he leaned closer.

"Uh, yes I do-" I said, holding up the stack of papers with my face on them "If it's anyone's business it's mine."

"Get out" He said, keeping his voice even and cold.

"Excuse me?"

"I said get out!" He roared, slamming his fists down on the table and leaning in so close that he was only a few inches from my face.

"Not until you tell me who this is!" I yelled back, shaking the papers in my hand.

I was so close to his face that our noses were nearly touching, and in that lighting, I could barely notice it, but his features had changed.

His eyes had turned yellow and black, dark veins protruded from under them. His mouth was slightly open and I could see two sets of elongated canines.

I knew I should have been scared. Vampires' true faces only showed in the presence of blood or in times of strong emotions.

But again, my curiosity got the best of me and I just stood there , then I reached up and let my fingers touch the flesh near his eyes.

"No..." He said abruptly, pulling away from me and closing his eyes. He took a deep breath and soon the veins had disappeared, the fangs retracted. When he opened his yes, I was met with his own deep blue irises.

"Niklaus Mikaelson" He said.

"But," I said, looking around at all the artwork "That's your name".

"He didn't say anything and I looked down at the picture in my hand. It was me, sitting on one of the rocks by the lake. It had been a few days ago when Klaus had offered me to go for a swim, but I just sat and watched as he swam around the small lake. That is until he pulled me in and we spent the afternoon playing around in the water.

"You made all of these?" I said, surprised. He stayed quiet, looking kind of ashamed.

Silence filled the room as I tried to absorb the fact that Klaus, or Niklaus, could draw- and beautifully.

"Well, they are amazing" I said more to myself than to him, but with his hearing I might as well have been screaming it out to the world.

"Really?" He asked, looking at me as surprised as I was.

"Yes, I mean, why didn't you want me to see this?" I asked, pulling my eyebrows together.

"I thought you would be furious" He said as his signature smirk appeared.

"Why would I be furious? This is beautiful!"

"Well, I didn't know how you would feel about me drawing you"

"Why do you draw me?"

"I fancy you" He shrugged as the words came out of his mouth- quick and simple. My jaw went slack and I was left speechless.

"What? Is that so hard to believe?" He said, smiling his perfect smile. I knew my mouth was probably hanging open, but I couldn't help it. I looked at the drawing in my hand and before I could look up a strong arm slid around my waist.

"Sweetheart," Klaus's voice was low and sweet next to me. His other hand reached ip and pulled my chin up so that I was looking at him.

"You are beautiful, strong, full of light-" His eyes moved around my face before landing on my eyes "How could I not be attracted to you?" He said, his voice dropping to s whisper.

I searched his face, looking for any indication of a lie.

His eyes were sincere, his features were relaxed and all traces of a smile were gone. He was serious.

I stopped searching and my eyes landed on his lips. They looked soft and welcoming and I couldn't imagine them against mine. I looked back up at his eyes hoping to cover up my blatant staring, but he had obviously noticed.

He was looking down at me, his eyes hooded as his own gaze drifted to my lips. His hand trailed from my chin to my neck and I felt his fingers lace into my hair. Gently, he started pulling me closer to him.

All sorts of flags were popping up in my head. I struggled between pulling away and getting closer. But I didn't have to do anything- he was getting closer all by himself and all I could do was stand there. He hesitated for a second, his eyes looking up from my lips to my eyes. He seemed to be checking that I was okay with what he was about to do.

When I didn't make any effort to stop him, he leaned in closer, and he was only a breath away when the booming sound of thunder echoed through the cabin. I jerked away, dropping the papers simultaneously.

We were both frozen in our spots, now a few feet away from each other.

My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets- I had almost kissed Klaus! Or he had almost kissed me! Either way, we were going to kiss!

A storm of thoughts and emotions rushed through me and I tried to calm down. Through it all, I noticed the hurt and rejection that flashed through Klaus's eyes.

I tried to say something, but when I opened my mouth to speak, his once wounded gaze became stone cold. He put one hand up to stop me from talking and bent down to pick up the papers I had dropped. He threw them on the desk and stormed out of the room.

The sound of his boots echoed down the hallway, followed by the sound of a door being thrown open and slammed shut.

I let out a long breath and closed my eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted.

I spared one last glance at the drawings and paintings, closing the curtain and leaving the room behind.

I trudged to the bedroom and dropped down onto the mattress, not bothering to get under the covers.

The patter of raindrops against the window started up and got stronger with every passing second. The wind howled, lightning struck and thunder shook the Earth.

I lay in bed, looking up at the beams on the ceiling.

Warm moisture pricked at the sides of my eyes and soon, fresh hot tears were rolling down my cheeks.

I closed my eyes and tried to shake the frustration that had built up.

When I opened my eyes again, Klaus was at the door of the room.

"Klaus!" I said as I sat up, wiping away the tears.

He stayed quiet and didn't even move. The silence became overwhelming and I tried to come up with something to say.

"I-I'm sorry" I said, nothing else coming to mind.

"I didn't mean to push you away, I just-" He still didn't say anything.

"I just got frightened of the thunder and then I had no chance to explain" I said, trying to make the cold look in his eyes disappear.

"Klaus?" I said, getting up and walking to him but he made no movement to acknowledge me.

"Klaus, please-" I grabbed his hand and noticed that it was ice cold.

"Klause are you okay?" I looked up at him again and his face had changed. His eyes were black and his fangs were bared.

This time he did not look as he did when we were in the library- he was scarier.

Suddenly I was yanked forward, crashing into his chest, his arms enclosed around me in an iron grip.

"Goodbye, Caroline" He said but his voice was different, more menacing.

I fought, kicked and punched, but it was no use.

When I caught sight of his face again, it was inches away from my neck, his fangs gleaming in the light.

I closed my eyes and screamed.

* * *

I sat with my back against a tree, the rain coming down around me.

Anger, shame, embarrassment- rejection. Everything roared in my mind as strong as the storm I was currently in.

I had left early that morning, not only to avoid the rain but to also have extra time to meet with the pack.

They had been giving me trouble lately, going into town without permission/ If they flaunted around any more, the townspeople would easily start suspect.

During my visit, one of the mutts decided to step up and challenge my alpha status. He seemed to have a decent amount of followers, so I made an example of him.

I didn't exactly kill him because I need every wolf I can possibly get, but no one will soon make the mistake of challenging my power.

After dealing with the pack i set out to find something to eat. Usually I would go into town and have my way with the next warm body that caught my fancy, but in the last month I had spent with Caroline, the thought of feeding from a woman repulsed me.

I found a decent sized deer and drank my fill, then ran back to the cabin, anxious to see Caroline's beautiful face. Waking up that morning and leaving without a word to her had bothered me. In the past month, I had always woken up with her and never started my day without first talking to her.

I was developing feelings for her, feelings I had never experienced with any other woman- not even Tatia.

Getting to the cabin and finding her in my studio was one of the most nerve racking experiences I have had to face. Of course trying to scare her because she had seen and been through much worse.

What I did not expect was her reaction. First, she touched me when I was in my true form. The feel of her warm fingers on my flesh was too much at the moment.

Not much later, she surprised me again by being...not furious with the fact that I had piled of portraits of her.

I couldn't help drawing her. She consumed me all day and at night when she would fall asleep, her scent surrounded me and when I closed my eyes, her angelic face was there again.

Drawing her was the only way I would be able to control myself. She was my muse.

Attempting to kiss her was not one my mind- well attempting to kiss her was always on my mind, but I never intended on trying so soon.

But the moment felt so right, and she wasn't exactly pushing me away. But when I was a breath away, she pulled back. No, more like jumped away from me/ Although it may have been caused by the bolt of thunder that had hit at that moment, the pain and rejection I felt was unbearable.

Before she had a chance to explain herself, I stormed out of the cabin.

I stood up from my place under the tree, the rain still coming down strong.

I walked back, thinking about Caroline. She was so charming and sweet- just liked Tatia.

She had been interested in another man- just liked Tatia.

The thought made me stop. What if she was being nice so that she could manipulate me into going back to her village, back to Tyler?

No, she wasn't like Tatia. Comparing her to Tatia was an insult to her kindness, her genuine good nature and beauty.

I picked up the pace, once again in a hurry to get back to the cabin. I needed to see her, to look her in the eyes and see that she had some sort of feelings for me.

I reached the cabin and walked in, finding her laying on her side on the bed, her back to me, her breathing indicated that she was fast asleep.

I leaned against the threshold and watched her shoulders rise and fall.

She turned then, laying flat on her back, her right arm draped across her stomach.

She wore the same blue dress she had slept in the night before. The color made her eyes look brighter and her hair seem like a halo around her. Not to mention that it gave me a perfect view of her curves.

"Klaus..." She mumbled so low that if my hearing hadn't been perfect, I wouldn't have been able to make out what she said.

I stepped forward and noticed that her eyes were moving behind her lids, which probably meant that she was dreaming.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled again "I didn't mean..." She kept trailing off and her breathing became quicker, her heart started to pick up it's pace.

"Caroline" I said softly, taking her hand in mine.

"Please..." She said, her soft murmur carried a pleading tone, her heart beat faster, her breathing became erratic.

I flashed around to the other side of the bed and climbed in next to her.

"Caroline" I said again as softly as I could manage.

"Right at that moment, she shot up, a blood curdling scream coming from her.

I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back into my chest. She grabbed at my shirt and pulled herself closer and I gathered her so that she was on my lap.

"It's okay, it's okay" I said soothingly, wrapping my arms around her and letting her get comfortable "It's me, you're safe"

I waited, letting her breathing calm and her heart rate slow.

I looked over to her pillow, noticing the tear stains on her fabric- I had made her cry.

I looked down at her. Her head was tucked into my neck, her breath warm on my collarbone. She had had a nightmare about me.

"Caroline," I whispered.

"Hm"

"Sweetheart, I would never hurt you. Ever" I said, putting as much honesty into my voice as I could.

When she didn't say anything I panicked a little.

"You know that, right?" After a few seconds of silence she nodded.

I sighed, feeling somewhat better. She shifted again and soon she was sitting on my lap, her face only a few inches away from mine.

Tear tracks ran down her cheeks and I reached up to wipe them away.

"I didn't mean to" she said, her voice raw from crying and screaming. I looked at her slightly confused.

I didn't mean to push you away...earlier today when we..." She started but looked down at her hands which were now on her lap.

"I'm sorry" She said, looking up at me.

He eyes were as green as I had ever seen them and I knew that at that moment, she really meant it. She was not trying to deceive me or manipulate me like Tatia- she really had some sort of feelings for me.

I pulled her in gently and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you" I said and then touched my forehead to hers. She stayed there, her eyes closed as she sighed.

There it was- another chance to kiss those perfect pink lips. But the time didn't feel right.

Her stomach growled and I pulled away to look at her.

"Hungry?" I asked, smiling down at her. I sometimes forgot that she was human and still needed to eat real food. She opened her eyes and nodded.

"Alright, I will get you something to eat" I said and patted her thigh, prompting her to get back on the bed.

I flashed into the kitchen and started getting a plate of food together, all the while listening to what was going on in the other room.

When I was satisfied with the amount I had on the plate I flashed back to the bedroom.

Caroline was right where I had left her, sitting cross legged on her side of the bed.

"Klaus, why are you all wet?" She asked as I placed the plate of food next to her.

"The rain caught up to me" I said and started moving to my side of the bed, but I was stopped when I felt her fingers wrap around my arm.

"Oh no. You are not getting into bed like that- go change"

"It's my bed!" I argued.

"Well I won't sleep in here with you like that" She said, releasing me and crossing her arms over her chest.

I chuckled and went to the wardrobe, grabbing a pair of trousers and a shirt. I changed in the parlor and then returned to the bedroom, dropping my wet clothes on the ground next to the bed.

"There" I said sitting next to her.

"Better" She said between a bite of bread and cheese.

We finished off the plate of food together- well, she finished it, I only ate when she insisted that I took a bite.

We both cleaned up and decided to turn in early.

"Why didn't you tell me you could paint?" She said as we were climbing in under the covers.

I turned to her and she did the same so that we were laying facing each other.

"I've never told anyone, really"

"Really?"

"Yes, it's not something I talk about" I said, looking away from her.

"Well, I'm sorry for intruding" She said, which snapped my attention back to her. I never expected her to apologize.

"I would have shown you eventually" I said and brought my hand up to her cheek "You are my muse after all" I hadn't planned on telling her that. But when it slipped past my lips, it felt good that she knew.

"Klaus," She said, a dreamy quality in her voice, a sparkle in her eyes. She placed her hand over mine and closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, there was a fire in them- determination.

She started closing in, making the distance between us non-existent.

When her soft lips touched mine, I still couldn't believe it was happening.

When she didn't pull away, I kissed her once, twice three times and she returned each movement. When I slid my tongue over her bottom lip she let out a sweet moan and I promised myself I would make that sound come out of her again. When I repeated the action she didn't moan, but instead parted her lips and invited me in..

I let my tongue slip past her lips and soon they were locked in battle.

I noticed that she was much too far away so I realised her cheek and let my hand slid down to her waist. I pulled her to me and her arms immediately went around my neck, our legs entangled. Her whole body was pressed up against mine and I took the opportunity to explore the curve of her waist and hip.

The kiss was passionate- hungry. I knew she had never kissed a man and I would make sure her lips touched no one else but mine.

She began to pull away and I pushed further, stealing a few more seconds. But she was human and would eventually need to breathe.

When we finally pulled away I let my forehead touch hers. My eyes were closed and I knew hers were too. When she let out a content sigh I opened my eyes.

She had a small smile on her lips but her eyes were still closed. I moved and dropped a chaste kiss on her swollen lips. She let out a short giggle.

When she finally opened her eyes, I knew she didn't regret it.

She adjusted herself and lay on my chest, wrapping her arms around my torso.

I rested my chin on her head and kept one arm wrapped around her waist, the other behind my head.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that" I whispered and she tilted her head up, her emerald green eyes catching the little light that there was in the room.

"Why didn't you?"

"It was never the right moment" I said and she smiled, reaching up and grabbing the hand behind my head. She laced her fingers with mine and pushed herself up slightly so that she could touch her lips to mine.

This kiss wasn't passionate or hungry, but sweet and affectionate.

When she pulled away she smiled again and laid down on my chest once more, our linked hands rested next to her.

"It was always the right moment"

* * *

**So there you go!**

**There are only a couple of chapters left and I'm hoping to have this story wrapped up by the end of this month (June 30th)! **

**I've already started working on the website that I mentioned before because a lot of you guys thought it was a good idea. I'm hoping to also have that finished up by the end of this month, and I'll give you guys the link in a few chapters!**

**I also plan on updating again sometime this week so keep an eye out!**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: OMG CANDICE ACCOLA IS ENGAGED! I'm really happy for her and wish her the best of luck! But seriously, Klaroline needs to continue on The Originals or something. Like for real.**


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey, everyone!**

**Blah blah blah blah blah**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

It had rained all night and it did not seem like the storm was going to let up for the rest of the day.

I stayed laying on Klaus's chest, our hands linked next to me. The room was cold and dark and the only light was provided by the occasional flashes of lightning.

I knew he was awake because he was always awake before me. But this was another unspoken agreement between us- the day didn't start until I decided.

And right now, I was perfectly content with just laying there in his arms.

I knew that part of me was slightly worried that when I looked at him, he wouldn't be happy about what had happened the night before. In the moment he may have acted a certain way, but after having a chance to sleep on it he may have realized that I wasn't worth it.

No guy had ever taken the time to get to know me and every guy that I had ever liked never returned the feelings.

I sighed, knowing that sooner or later I would have to face him. I tilted my head up and found that Klaus still had his eyes closed, but my movement seemed to have woken him up and I felt his fingers start to trace a lazy pattern up and down my spine. A smirk played at the corners of his lips and he opened his eyes, instantly looking at me.

"Good morning, sweetheart" His deep, accented voice was as sweet as honey.

"Good morning" I returned smiling slightly. He seemed to be at ease, but I did not know how long that would last. If living with Klaus had taught me anything it was that he could change his demeanor in a second.

"How did you sleep, love?" He asked, pulling our joined hands up and kissing my knuckles.

"Good," I said and watched as he played with my fingers, planting kisses on my wrist and palm every few seconds. "How did you sleep?" I asked.

"Best rest I've had in decades" He said with a smile, lacing our fingers once again and leaning down to place a light kiss on my cheek. "Are you hungry?" He asked, his fingers still running up and down my back.

"I could eat" I said giving a small shrug.

He sat up and pulled me with him, then we walked to the kitchen together, hand in hand.

He prepared a plate of food and led me to the parlor. He sat down on one of the couches and pulled me down next to him. I ended up leaning against the arm of the couch, my legs on his lap. He stayed quiet while I ate, his fingers running up and down my leg.

When I finished I set the empty plate down on the table next to me. He looked over and smiled, grabbing my hands and pulling me onto his lap.

"Caroline," He said seriously and I looked at him. his face had changed to look exactly as it had the day before when we had been in his studio. "Do you regret what happened?"

That caught me off guard.

Did I regret what happened? No! I was the one that kissed him, of course I didn't regret it!

"No, why do you ask?" I said and I knew the confusion was evident in my face.

"Well, you haven't exactly said much this morning"

"Do you regret it?" I blurted out, now desperate to know. He just frowned, and after a few seconds, burst out laughing. I waited patiently until he regained his composure, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Caroline, why on Earth would you ever consider that I would regret kissing you?"

"You aren't exactly the most predictable person" I said, thinking back to his mood swings.

One of his hands came up and grabbed my chin, pulling me forward. Next thing I knew, his lips were sealed over mine.

One of his arms wrapped around my waist and his other hand slid down and came to rest on my neck. I shift so that I was straddling his lap, letting my hands fall to his chest.

This kiss was a mix of passion and affection. I knew he was trying to prove that he did not regret kissing me he night before- and he was doing a pretty good job at it.

I was the one to break the kiss because I needed to breathe. He rested his forehead on mine and I kept my eyes closed, taking in a deep breath and filling my lungs with some much needed oxygen.

"Did that answer your question?" He asked and I opened my eyes to catch him smiling.

"Did that answer yours?" I returned. He laughed and I noticed that he hadn't laughed this much since the day we had gone finishing (turns out, I'm not a very good fisher).

"So we're on the same page" He stated.

"Yes- neither of us regrets kissing each other" I said.

"Good" He said, stealing a quick peck. "What would you like to do today, sweet Caroline?"

"Um..." I thought for a moment, looking out the window and remembering that it was pouring outside. "Can you show me some more of your work?" I said hopefully. I knew it would probably be a no, but asking wouldn't hurt.

"Sure" He said, getting up without warning.

I shrieked, locking my ankles behind his back and grabbing onto his shoulders.

"Klaus!" I whined. He chuckled and I pulled back to get a better look of his face "That's not funny!"

My movement didn't faze him and he kept walking down the hallway as if I didn't weigh a thing.

"Yes, it was" He said with a smirk and then dropped me onto the couch in the library.

He went around lighting a few candles so that I could actually see where I was walking. When he opened the curtains I pushed myself off the couch and stepped forward to get a better look at the room.

It looked bigger now that it was better lit and I could see much more details in each of the paintings.

I felt Klaus next to me as he walked silently by my side while I examined his work.

"You do a lot of landscapes" I noted, passing by the third meadow, the sixth forest and the second lake.

"Well I don't get to see much civilization" He pointed out and I nodded.

We continued around the room. I offered some of my thoughts on a few of the paintings and he told me where and why he had painted them.

"They all seem so..." I started once I had finished my round around the room. I looked back at each of them, coming up with the appropriate word "dark."

"You aren't wrong" He said with a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the table in the middle of the room.

I went up to him, in the space between his legs, crossing my arms over my chest like he had done.

"Don't get me wrong, I love them all. They're all beautifully done and they capture the moment perfectly" I paused, phrasing my words so that he could understand what I was trying to say "But all the tones are dark, it makes me feel almost..." I paused again, looking for the feeling each of the works had led on.

"Lonely" We said in unison. He nodded and looked anywhere but at me.

"This is why I don't like talking about my art," He started "I feel like if anyone ever sees it, they'll know exactly how alone I am" He had a faraway look in his eye and felt an intense need to comfort him. I reached up and touched his cheek, feeling how warm he was.

He leaned into my touch and I felt him relax immediately. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in a little closer. i waited until he was ready to keep talking.

"When I was turned, I did a lot of things I'm not proud of, but they were necessary for survival" I said, opening his eyes. I nodded, understanding what he meant.

"When everything was said and done, each of my siblings parted on their own path, ultimately leaving me alone. I was with my sister for some time, but she eventually went her own way" I was slightly surprised to discover that his family was still possibly alive. He had talked about them before, but he always made it seem like they weren't alive anymore.

"Mikael, my father, cannot stand the fact that I am alive, and has been hunting me for over a century" His voice dropped to a dangerous tone, and I knew that he didn't like Mikael. "Every time that I settle in one place, he catches up to me, and I am forced to run again" He looked up at me, his voice returning to normal and his eyes softening.

"He hasn't found me here, yet. I've been here longer than I've been anywhere else and he has yet to find me. Sometimes I think he has given up, but my instincts tell me otherwise." He said sadly.

"I haven't been able to trust anyone in a very long time. It's just been me, watching out for myself" He said, and my heart broke for him. He was alone.

"You can trust me" I said, surprising us both. "At first you sure as hell couldn't. But having to put up with you for a month has shown me a different side of you. A side apart from the big bad hybrid Klaus, which is the side you probably show off to everyone" I said and he chuckled and I let out a small laugh along with him, glad I had changed the mood a bit.

"My point is I've grown to trust you. And you can trust me, too" I leaned in and placed a small kiss on his lips, but didn't stay there for too long.

"Thank you, Caroline" He whispered as I pulled away.

"It was my pleasure" I said with a smile, which he returned.

I looked behind him at all the portraits of me. I reached over and grabbed the nearest one.

It was of me with my hair pulled back into a braid. I wasn't smiling or laughing in the picture, but my face looked so peaceful, each of my features were relaxed and calm. The braid cascaded over my left shoulder and I wore one of the dresses I had borrowed from Klaus. It was a cream colored one that had beads worked into the bodice. The sleeves started low on my shoulders, the neckline dipped pretty low, too. At the waist, it flared out into a long skirt that which always grazed the ground when I wore it.

"You draw me way prettier than what I really am" I said, still looking at the drawing.

"I draw you like I see you" He said, and I could hear the honesty in his voice, causing me to smile.

"Can you draw me now?" I said, slightly excited. He had been caught off guard by my request, frankly, I had too.

"Uh, alright" He said, sounding unsure, which was strange because Klaus never sounded unsure.

I put the drawing back where I had found it and head back to the library, sitting on the couch, waiting for Klaus to get everything he needed.

He came out with a few sheets of paper and a pencil. He sat down across from me.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Just, sit still" He said, making himself comfortable in his seat and setting his pencil on the paper "You are perfect just like that"

I did as I was told and sat still. I wanted to smile, or fix my hair, or sit in a different position. But I fought against it and tried to remain as still as possible.

I looked at Klaus the entire time, watching as his eyes moved across the page while he drew. He looked up at me a couple of times, pursing his lips and then looking back at his paper.

After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a couple of minutes, he put down his pencil.

"Done?" I said, perking up. He nodded, and I got up, going around to stand behind him.

On the page was a girl with long curly hair, cascading over her shoulders. Her eyes shone and a small smile played at the corner of her lips.

"Wow" I said, slightly at a loss for words.

"Do you like it?" He asked hesitantly.

"I love it!" I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. He chuckled.

"I'm glad you like it, love" He said.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the library, talking and kissing, reading and kissing. He drew some more things and I watched in awe as he brought the simplest things to life.

When we woke up the next morning, the storm had passed and the Sun was out. Everything was still wet outside, but the woods looked greener.

"Can we go for a ride?" I asked as we lay in bed. I had been looking out the window of the bedroom and it seemed like a good day to take Spade out.

We had gone riding before. Sometimes to hunt, sometimes to just get out of the cabin for a while.

"Sure, sweetheart. Where would you like to go?" He asked while he played with a strand of my hair.

"The river" I said and he cocked an eyebrow.

"The river? Are planning on fishing again" He said, smirking. I hit him playfully on the chest.

"No" I said. I really didn't want to go fishing again, but the place was beautiful. There were different plants and flowers around the river and I hadn't had a chance to see them the first time we went.

"Alright, we'll go" He said.

After he insisted I had breakfast, we went around to the stables and saddled up Spade. Klaus climbed on first and then helped me up so that I was sitting in front of him. He brought his arms around my waist so that he could grab the reins and I held on to Spade's mane.

We rode in silence like we always did, not wanting to disturb the peace of the woods,

When we reached the river, he hopped down and then held my waist as I climbed off of Spade.

He tied him to the nearest tree while I found a spot to sit near the river.

Klaus came back and sat down next to me. We talked for awhile, but soon ended up skipping rocks.

"...six, seven eight!" He said, throwing his hands up triumphantly "Beat that, Caroline" He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me off the ground, spinning me around.

I giggled and held onto his shoulders.

"It isn't fair! You're like super strong!" I said, sounding and feeling like a little girl. I felt my feet touch the ground again as he put me down.

"Do you want me to go easy on you?" He said in mock seriousness.

"No!"

"Then?" He said laughing and I laughed along with him. We had been having this little competition for a while now and I was winning up until I told him that he wasn't trying.

I looked at him. He was smiling wide and still laughing, his blue eyes were bright and he seemed to be completely at ease.

"You seem...happier" I said and he stopped laughing, looking at me with a weird spark in his eye.

"I am happier" He said simply and I smiled.

I slow clap echoed through the woods and we both froze, turning our attention to where it had come from.

"Very nice, very nice" A deep voice came from across the river and soon, a tall figure emerged from behind one of the trees. "You two are so sweet, it makes my heart melt" Said the stranger. From where I was I could see him coming closer, edging to river.

I felt Klaus move in front of me, pushing me behind him with one hand. He kept that hand on my waist and I grabbed onto his arm. He was putting himself between me and the stranger, which I guessed wasn't a good thing.

"Marcel" Klaus said in a low and commanding voice. "I recommend you return to camp, mate"

"Klaus, my alpha" He said, and with a swift leap, made it clear over the river. "I don't think I will" He said with a devilish smile. Now that he was closer, I saw that he had dark skin and his pearly white teeth gleamed in the sun. He was a few inches taller and carried an air of arrogance about him.

I felt Klaus about to take a step forward, but soon we both realized that we were surrounded. About a dozen other figures appeared around us, coming from behind trees and up from their hiding placing behind the foliage.

"What are you doing, Marcel?"

"I think it's time we had a change in alphas, don't you think?" His question was rhetorical, but the strangers that were surrounding us gave out howls and cheers.

"I already made an example of Mason- did you not learn?" Klaus said, his voice dripped with venom.

"Oh Mason was just a test. I sent him out there to see what you would do to someone that challenged your alpha status. Seeing as you didn't kill him, and I have backup-" He opened his arms and gestured to the other figures "I don't see what I have to lose" He finished.

The group that had us surrounded started to close in and I felt Klaus grab onto me tighter. He looked around but remained quiet and I knew he was trying to come up with a plan.

"Alright," He finally said, standing up straighter, blocking my view completely of the man named Marcel. "You may challenge my alpha status, under one condition"

"Name it" Marcel said, his cool exterior slipping for a second and he seemed to be anxious to get on with whatever this "challenging" consisted of.

"You let the girl go" I tensed at his words, slightly angry that he didn't think I could handle whatever was about to go down. I dug my nails into his biceps so that he would get the message, but he continued to stare at Marcel, oblivious to what I was trying to tell him.

"Very well" Marcel said after a few seconds.

Klaus gave him a curt nod and then turned, placing his hand at the small of my back. he started walking in the direction of Spade, practically pushing me along.

"Klaus," I whispered, trying to get his attention as inconspicuously as possible. I knew he heard me, but he kept his face stone cold and looking forward.

"Klaus," I repeated a little harsher. We reached Spade and he untied the horse from the tree, coming back to where he had left me standing. His hands were on my waist and he was about to help me up when I got extremely annoyed with him.

"Niklaus Mikaelson" I whispered/yelled through clenched teeth and he looked at me, slightly surprised "What are you doing?" I kept my voice low, hoping that only he could hear me.

He looked away from me, concentrating on grabbing the reins and positioning Spade in the direction of the cabin.

"Go home" He said, loud enough for me to hear, then he slapped Spade's side and the horse bolted. I grabbed the reins maneuvered Spade through the trees. I looked back and saw Klaus standing where I had left him before he turned and headed back to where Marcel was.

I looked forward again, trying to shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

Klaus had been able to handle a pack of wolves twice the size of that guy- and at night. He was practically indestructible! He would be fine.

I slowed Spade to a trot, remembering one of Bonnie's grandmother's stories.

_"Werewolves are very loyal to one another. When a werewolf pledges their allegiance to another werewolf, it is a very strong bond that is hardly ever broken. It is only broken through treachery and betrayal." She grabbed a few leaves out of a small plate on one of her counters and threw it into the tea she had been brewing._

_"Now, werewolves usually travel in packs- twenty, maybe thirty at a time. Sometimes even more-" She paused to stir powder into the tea "But they always have an alpha. The alpha is like their leader, and what they say, goes." She poured a cup for Bonnie, Elena, and I._

_"If at any point the pack members believe that the alpha is no longer suitable to hold power, one pack member can challenge the alpha. Usually the pack member has a group to support them- there is no point in going into battle if no one pledges their metal to you" She sat down in front of us, her own cup of tea in her hands. She took a sip before continuing._

_"Whoever wins the challenge, which is usually a battle, take the position of alpha." She took another sip._

_"What if the previous alpha wins?" Elena asked._

_"Well, he gets to continue being the alpha. If is he so chooses, her could make an example of the challenger and his alliances. They did commit treachery after all"_

_"And what if the challenger wins?" I had asked._

_"Than he may choose to banish the former alpha-" She paused and took another sip of her tea, leaving us hanging on her every word "or he may choose to kill him"_

As if on cue, a loud, tortured scream pierced the air. I stopped altogether, recognizing the scream to have been Klaus's.

I turned Spade around, and with one swift kick on his side we were bolting back to the river.

When I reached the river, I saw Marcel had Klaus pinned to a tree, a branch stuck out of his stomach.

"Klaus!" I yelled, and every eye turned to me.

"Well, well, well" Marcel started, digging his fingers into Klaus's neck "It seems the blonde beauty has returned to save her love" He said in a mocking tone.

I hopped off of Spade, watching as one of the strangers came closer. The man swung at me and I ducked, dodged the blow. I kicked his legs out from under him and he fell to the ground.

I stood up straight, watching as the next man came toward me. He swung too, but this time I blocked his blow, using his momentum to twist his arm behind him and giving it a pull, popping it from it's socket. A pained howl came from the man and I let him fall to the ground.

When I turned I wasn't prepared for the punch that the next man was able to land. The force of the hit sent me back and I felt the sting of it on my cheek- that would leave a mark.

When I gained my composure I looked at the man- he was tall and burly. He held his fists up in front of him in a defensive position as he bounced on the balls of his feet. I tasted the salty hint of blood in my mouth and spit out the red liquid, rolling my shoulders and waiting for the man to attack.

I was able to dodge and block a few of his hits, but he landed more than I wanted him to. Just as I was getting ready to strike, my feet were pulled from under me and I was dragged back.

Next thing I knew I was being held up from my hair, completely disoriented.

Something clawed at my legs, something else tore at my torso.

"Say goodbye, Niklaus" I heard someone's voice ring through the air before I was jerked backwards. The last thing I felt was the wind rushing around me before everything went black.

* * *

"NO!"

Caroline was thrown through the air, her body hitting a large boulder. Her body fell to the ground, limp.

I turned to Marcel, seeing red. I reached up and grabbed his finger, pulling them away and twisting his hand enough so that I heard a crack. He pulled away, cupping his broken wrist, giving me enough time to push myself off the branch.

The pain was excruciating but I pushed it down, staggering to my feet.

The rest was blur. I landed punch after punch and so did Marcel but soon I had a hold of his head and I twisted it to the side, ripping it from his shoulders. His body fell to the ground and I threw his head aside, turning to the scum that called themselves his followers.

I picked them off easily, snapping the necks of some and leaving others with twisted kneecaps, broken arms and missing bones.

When I was satisfied, I made sure that all who were conscious were paying attention.

"When you are healed, you will drag your miserable arses back to camp along with the other scums who have had the fortune of having their necks snapped. You will tell the rest of the pack what happened here today and if I so hear a whisper that you have spread a rumor, or decided to start a rebellion, I will personally rip your hearts out and shove it down your throats." Each of them had their heads bowed, not daring to meet my gaze.

"Do you understand me?!"

"Yes, alpha" They all whimpered in unison. I turned away, getting to Caroline as fast as possible.

She was exactly where she had fallen, a heap on the ground.

I turned her so that she was laying face up, and regretted to taking note of who had their hand in hurting her. Her cheek was swollen and purple, blood stained her hair and deep gashed covered her torso.

I listened to her heartbeat, weak and hardly able to pump blood through her veins. I bit into my wrist, placing it on her lips and letting a couple of drops slip down to her throat. After a couple of seconds, I felt my blood kick in and her body began to heal.

I picked her up bridal style and carried her to Spade, pushing him as fast as I could while at the same time keeping Caroline stable.

"Hold on for me me, sweetheart. Please hang in there" I whispered, knowing it wouldn't make a difference but feeling like it needed to be said.

When we got to the cabin I got off Spade and flashed into the house, heading for the bedroom.

When I had her laying down as comfortably as I could manage, I headed out and made sure Spade was put into the stable.

After that, I brought in buckets of water and set them on the fire, trying to sterilize them as much as possible. Every few minutes I would go check on Caroline. Her wounds still weren't healed, but her heart rate remained steady- low, but steady.

When I felt the water was finally clean enough, I grabbed some cloth and flashed into the room, making quick work of her dress and getting to work on her wounds.

She had deep gashes on her torso, which turned out to be bite marks. There were more shallow scratches on her arms and legs. A few if her knuckles had been broken and she had a twisted ankle.

When I finished cleaning her up I picked out a dress and slipped her into it as carefully as possible.

I then fed her my blood, letting more into her system than before. Her body seemed to respond instantly and I watched at the large bump on her cheek lowered. I felt her heartbeat grow stronger and I pulled up a chair next to the bed, holding her hand in mine, waiting for her to wake up.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN!**

**Kind of a cliffy but whatevs!**

**And yes- two updates in two days! I thought I should make it up to you guys for going AWOL for I don't know how many days.**

**So this was chapter 13? We have like what...4...5 chapters left...**

**This story is closing up quick!**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed! I know I haven't been mentioning you guys like I did before, but it's quite a bit of work! But have no fear, I'll mention each and every one of you at the end, kind of like credits :)**

**SPOILER ALERT: NEXT CHAPTER IS KINDA SORTA THE REASON WHY THIS STORY IS RATED M! *WINK WINK* *HINT HINT***


	15. Chapter 14

**Hey, everyone!**

**I was planning on uploading this chapter last night but I ended up watching the Heat game and it was super intense and then after that I just went to bed. Fun fact a lot of you guys didn't know about me- I actually play basketball.**

**So anyways, I don't think anyone noticed or just didn't bring it up but yes I made Marcel a werewolf. I know that in The Originals he's a vampire but I just thought he would fit into my story that way. I don't know.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Any progress?" Tyler asked as he came into the shop. I looked up from where I was, crushing herbs on one of the shop tables.

"No- he hasn't said anything new and I still sense a gap in his memory. It's like the two weeks he went missing were just...erased"

"I know, Bonnie" He said, running his hand through his hair.

"Has the Council given you any new information?"

"Aside from what we already know? No, they're practically on the same page as us" He pulled up a chair and sat down, watching as I continued to prepare herbs and spices.

The Council had approached us a few hours after Bill had come out of the woods about a month ago. At first they were just going to take him away and try and figure out what to do with him, but something about Tyler, Elena and I caught their attention.

When they had a private meeting with me they informed me of my heritage- that I was a witch. My grams had been a witch too, and once she passed they confiscated all her grimoires until they found another witch worthy of them. That witch turned out to be me. Since I'm the only one of my kind here in the village, I haven't had a mentor to train me. Everything I've learned in the past month has had to be done through trial and error.

Why they were interested in Elena and Tyler, I'm not sure. In fact, I've only seen Elena a handful of times this month. I've seen Tyler more often, but that's only when he comes to check on Bill.

Bill has been staying in the back of the shop since he came out of the woods. The council believes that through the use of my magic, we can cure him and get more answers.

Answers about the werewolves, I suppose. Aside from recruiting us, they also told us about the werewolf camp that was located deep in the woods. They have been trying to find it for years, but haven't been able to since their last battle against the beasts.

"I'm going to go check on him" Tyler said, standing up and going to the back of the shop. I watched him go, then turned back to the grimoire in front of me.

I personally don't believe that Bill came across the werewolf camp. And if he did, that wouldn't give us any insight as to why there was a hole in his memory. From what my grams taught me and what I've read about in her grimoires, werewolves do not have the power to erase memory- they can't bend people's minds like that. Witches hardly have the power to do that- it's against our laws.

The only beings that exercise mind control are vampires.

When I notified the council of this detail, they shook it off saying that there couldn't possibly be a vampire in the woods. It is known that vampires and werewolves don't get along, and one vampire in a location where there was a pack of werewolves would be impossible.

So there was nothing I could do but go through potions and concoctions, trying out which ever looked right.

But nothing seemed to be working. The only time we got any real information was when Bill had nightmares, and not even that was helpful. He would scream out in pain, as if he was being tortured. At one point he even said Caroline's name, but we had yet to secure a solid lead.

According to Tyler, the Council had started training people for combat. They told us briefly that once the whole village was trained to fight the supernatural, but as time went on and there was no imminent threat, they let the villagers live their lives without having to worry about a war.

I put the finishing touches on the truth syrum I had been putting together and went back to where Bill and Tyler were, hoping to make some progress.

* * *

I was awake before I was able to open my eyes.

I was on a soft surface- like a bed. My head was propped up on what felt like pillows. My torso was covered in fabric of what felt like a dress.

Next I felt the soreness. There was a pang of pain in my right ankle and soreness in each of the joints of my fingers. My legs and arms felt tingly as well as the skin around my stomach area.

My eyelids felt heavy, but I willed them open.

The room was dim, the only light coming from the windows to my left.

I looked around, slightly confused as to why I was in Klaus's bedroom and not outside, next to the river where we had been moments before.

"I'm so sorry, Caroline" I looked to my side, noticing Klaus sitting next to the bed, my hand clasped between both of his. He had his head bowed, his forehead resting on our joined hands.

"I am so sorry I was not there to protect you. Everything was going so great- we were happy. I was working so hard not to mess it up, to keep you happy for as long as I could..." He took in a ragged breath "But I always ruin everything, I ruin everything good. And you are so good" His voice broke and his breathing became heavy.

I felt my heart clench and I moved my hand out of his grasp so that I could reach up to cup his cheek, noticing that there was moisture there- he had been crying.

His head shot up, his eyes wide and red, his mouth slightly open in surprise.

"You didn't ruin everything" I said, trying to comfort him. But my voice came out raspy and I noticed the dryness in my throat.

"Caroline, you must drink" He said right before biting into his wrist. He moved and sat on the edge of the bed, slipping his arm around my shoulders and helping me sit up. I looked at him, confused as to what he was doing.

When he placed his wrist in front of my mouth, I pulled back.

"Why?" I croaked.

"Please just trust me, sweetheart" His voice was pleading and his eyes were soft. I looked back at his wrist and only took a second to latch on, the coppery taste of his blood hitting my taste buds instantly.

The warm liquid slid down my throat and I drank until it became too much. When I pulled away, Klaus wiped some blood from the side of my lip.

"Vampire blood has healing qualities" He said quietly, answering my previous question. He was right- my throat felt refreshed and the soreness I had been feeling before slowly started to fade away.

"I can feel it" I said, my voice sounded stronger and I smiled up at him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Alright. I was feeling kind of sore before but now it's going away"

"I'm glad to hear it" He said, finally returning a smile.

I sat up a little more, turning to him so that we were sitting face to face.

"What happened out there, Klaus?" The details were hazy, but I remember being at the river with Klaus, then being surrounded, then everything went black.

His face dropped and he looked down, taking my hand in his and lacing our fingers together.

"There are some things I have been keeping from you" He seemed hesitant but continued "I am an alpha. An al-"

"An alpha is the leader of a werewolf pack, which means you are part of a werewolf pack, which you failed to mention" I finished for him. I remembered, the man named Marcel, riding off on Spade, returning and seeing Klaus against a tree.

"H-How did you know?" Was all he could say.

"I overheard a few things when you were talking to Marcel" I said and he nodded, piecing the rest of it together himself. A few weeks ago I had told him about grams and how she knew a lot about supernatural creatures.

"But that is not all I needed to tell you" He said. I thought back to what had happened, trying to remember something I had missed, but at this point, I had no idea what else he had to add.

"There is this organization called the Council. They used to train individuals, both men and women, to fight supernatural beings." He signed, running a hand through his hair. I had seen him do that before, but only when he was uncomfortable "A couple of years ago I had a little...run in with the Council. They attacked my pack in the middle of the night"

"What were you doing?" I asked.

"Why do you assume I was doing anything?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Well if they attacked you there must have been a reason"

"The only thing I was doing was building my pack- making it bigger, stronger. At the time, I had over 200 werewolves willing to fight at my side" He said with a gleam in his eye, sounding rather proud.

"So they attacked you because you had a big pack?" I asked, trying to understand.

"Yes, the Council's job is to maintain order in the supernatural world. They make sure that nothing gets out of hand. But I had never heard of them, they were fairly new at the time"

"Alright, so they attacked you" I said, putting him back on track.

"Yes, I was attacked. They slaughtered many of my men, leaving me with hardly anyone. Of course in battle, both sides lose soldiers" He sighed, looking off behind me as if he were lost in a memory "The ones that we found were human- turns out that all of the Council's fighters are human. They just train them so that they are stronger, faster, better equipped to fight the supernatural."

"It is said that members of the Council develop some sort of gene that can be passed on to their children so that each generation would get stronger and better." He chuckled, shaking his head "But I don't think the Council was aware of this because right after they attacked my pack, they just stopped training their soldiers. They had no knowledge that if they bred their own fighters, the next generation of Council member would be close to invincible"

"I don't understand why you're telling me this" I said, completely intrigued by the story and yet confused as to why he was telling me.

"You really don't know, do you?" He said, cocking his head and looking at me. I pulled my eyebrows together, trying to understand what he was saying but coming up with nothing.

"Your father, William Forbes, and your mother, Elizabeth Forbes, were first generation Council soldiers" He said calmly. At first the words didn't register and it took me a second to piece together what he was trying to tell me.

"So you're saying that I-I-"

He sighed again, getting up and flashing out of the room. When he returned, he had my mother's cloak folded neatly in his hands, my father's band laying on top of it. He put the items down in front of me.

"From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were different" He sat down on the chair next to the bed and folded his hands on his lap "Council women all wore red cloaks identical to the one you had on the day you first met me and Council men all have similar bands" I touched the items, feeling strangely disconnected to them.

"Tell me Caroline-" Klaus started, pulling my attention back to him "Did your father ever teach you to hunt? Fight?" He said, cocking an eyebrow. I nodded, remembering all the lessons my father taught me about using a sword, a bow and arrow.

"Did you ever find it odd how naturally gifted you were at everything?" He questioned again and I thought back to my first hunting lesson. I had been so young and no I never really questioned why I was so good. I shook my head, still baffled by the revelation.

From the corner of my eye I saw Klaus nod, then he got up and walked out of the room. The sound of the front door closing registered in my head but I gave little thought to him leaving.

In reality, I was kind of angry at my father for not telling me something like this. For keeping me in the dark for so long.

The woods was dangerous because there was a pack of werewolves somewhere in it- and my father had been there to attack them.

My mother had probably died going on a mission for the Council.

I was some sort of Council super soldier, bred and trained to kill supernatural creatures.

I felt like I should be crying, but I wasn't. For some reason, I felt relieved. With this new information, a lot of unanswered questions in my life started to make sense.

I must have stayed sitting on the bed like that for at least an hour, going through everything that popped into my head- just thinking.

When it was starting to get really dark I stood up and stretched, grabbing the red cloak and wrist band, placing it on the table next to the bed.

I went down the hallway, past the kitchen and the parlor, opening the front door and going out to sit on the front porch of the cabin.

Klaus was there, sitting. He looked at me when I sat down next to him.

"Do you hate me, Caroline?" He asked, throwing me for a loop.

"Why would I hate you?"

"I thought that once I told you about who you really are, you'd realize that you have to kill me"

"Why would I have to kill you?" Confused. Again.

"Love, if you haven't noticed-" He made a general gesture to himself "I'm a supernatural being. And a pretty rare one at that"

"So?"

"So? Doesn't that spark something in you? A need to rid the Earth of me?" I laughed, catching on.

"Just because I found out I may or may not have this super soldier gene in me doesn't mean I want to kill you" I said, and that seemed to relax him slightly "I only have one question" I said.

"And what is that?"

"How did I get into this dress?" I shot back, my voice becoming serious. He looked down, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

"You-" He cleared his throat "You weren't in the best shape when I brought you back-" He turned and gave me a quick once over "Neither was the dress"

I laughed, finding the fact that he was uncomfortable a little funny. I tried to push away the fact that he had most likely seen me fully naked, the thought making my cheeks burn bright red.

When I looked back at him I noticed the huge blood stain at the front of his shirt. He had blood on his sleeves, too.

"My god," I said, sliding closer and lifting his shirt, expecting to find his skin perfectly repaired. What I saw was a huge hole. "Klaus!" I gasped, lifting his shirt up more to examine his torso.

The hole literally went right through him.

"Why isn't this healed?" I said, looking at him. He didn't look like he was in pain but he did look uncomfortable.

"There must be wood splinters still in the cut" He said, taking a deep breath.

"Why haven't you taken them out?" I said, infuriated with him.

"I've had more important things to take care of" He said, looking straight into my eyes. I felt my heart clench and I warm feeling rise up in my stomach but I pushed it away, helping him into the house.

"Okay, what do I do?" I asked.

"You have to take out the splinters" He said. I had him laying on the couch, his shirt rolled up so that I could see the injury better.

I nodded and started taking out small bits of wood that were visible.

"Why isn't it healing?" I asked.

"There's some in the wound" He said, now really looking like he was in pain.

"Okay..." I said, trying to think of what to do. I ghosted my hands over the wound, trying to figure out what to do.

"You're going to have to reach and get them, sweetheart" He chuckled.

"Them? There's more than one!" He nodded "Of course" I mumbled and started reaching in.

To say it was the worst feeling in the world was an understatement. I tried not to look at Klaus's face directly because I could already see his look of pain through my peripheral vision.

I took out the first piece of wood and let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. Klaus did the same, but the look of pain returned soon after.

"The other one?"

"Yes" He groaned "I think it's closer to the back" He said and then did his best to flip over so that he was laying face down on the couch.

I reached in again, trying to find it but coming up with nothing.

"There's nothing here" I said, digging around for the piece of wood.

"Oh, it's in there" He said, sounding like he was holding back a scream. When I moved my index finger I felt something hard and Klaus tensed.

"Is that it?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes, I believe so" He said.

This one was harder to take out but when I finally did, Klaus relaxed and the wound began healing up instantly.

I started cleaning up, then went out to the lake to wash my hands. When I returned, Klaus was sitting on the couch, a thin sheet of sheen settled on his skin.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I'll live" He said with a smirk.

"Good" I said, grabbing his hands and helping him up. We walked to the bedroom and I stood leaning against the threshold as he picked out a new shirt. It was loose and white with long sleeves and strings at the neck which he left untied.

He walked over to where I was standing, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me to him.

My giggle was drowned out when his lips crashed into mine. I granted him access almost instantly and soon our tongues were locked in battle. I pulled away to catch my breath but Klaus kept his lips on mine.

"I thought I had lost you" He said against my lips.

"You aren't getting rid of me that easy, Nik" I said, the name coming to me naturally. He pulled away and looked at me.

"What did you say?"

"You aren't getting rid of me that easily..." I repeated slowly but he shook his head.

"No what did you say after that" He said and I waited a few seconds.

"Nik" I said again. What I didn't expect was for his lips to come down on mine.

"Say it again" He whispered in between kisses.

"Nik..." I breathed as his lips trailed down to my neck. I felt him lift me up and walk us over to the bed. When he put me down again he climbed over me and latched onto my collar bone, sucking and kissing. I threw my head back, a warm feeling settling at the pit of my stomach.

I let my hands go down to the hem of his shirt and slip under so that I could feel his warm skin. I ran my hands up and down his back while he left a trail of kisses at the base of my neck and up to my lips.

"Caroline," He said- no, more like growled.

"Hm..." I replied, barely able to produce a coherent thought.

"We don't have to do this now" He said, sounding like he really meant it.

"You don't want to?" I said, pulling back and feeling slightly hurt.

"No, no I want to, you have no idea how much..." He started, reaching up to run his fingers over my cheek "But I can wait for you if you aren't ready" He said and I knew he meant it. His eyes were soft andt he need in his voice was audible.

I tilted my head up and kissed him, dragging my nails down his back. He moaned into my mouth and I tried to keep that in mind for later.

"I'm ready, Nik" I said in between kisses.

At that point he threw all his "I can wait" talk out the window. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me senseless. When he pulled away he let me pull his shirt over his head, leaving me with the perfect view of his chest. I looked down at the scar that was slowly disappearing where his wound had previously been. I touched the soft flesh with my finger tips.

"I'm alright, love" He whispered and I looked up at him, his eyes hooded with lust and need. I reached up and pulled him down again, crashing my lips into his. He flipped us over so that I was on top, straddling his waist.

His hands ran up my thighs, taking the skirt of the dress with them. I pulled away so that he could pull the dress over my head, but before I had a chance to react, he flipped us over again.

Automatically my hands shot up, covering myself.

"I want to see all of you, Caroline" He said and I slowly pulled my arms away. His eyes raked over my exposed flesh and I felt my cheeks burn up.

"So beautiful" I heard him say, mixed with a low groan. When he lowered himself to kiss me again, his warm skin pressed against mine and the feeling with incredible.

His hands were everywhere, touching and stroking.

His mouth left mine abruptly and I looked around. He was standing by the bed, removing his trousers. As soon as they hit the ground he flashed on top of my again, his mouth landing on my collarbone.

He began slowing down, taking his time with every inch of my skin. When his lips touched my breast I was almost sent over the edge. I ran my hands through his scalp and pulled at his curls, each flick of his tongue setting me on fire.

"Nik, please" I begged and I felt him moving back up to me lips.

I felt him position himself at my entrance, but he stopped.

"Caroline, if you need me to stop at any moment just tell me" He said in a husky voice, removing a strand of hair from my face. I nodded and felt something slide into me.

I held onto him, waiting for the pain to go away. He stayed still, but as soon as he moved the pain went away, replaced with...something else.

He thrust into me agonizingly slow, but I knew he was trying to be gentle. I wrapped my legs around his waist, locking my ankles behind his back, taking him in deeper.

He lowered his head so that his lips touched my neck and I took the chance to nibble at his ear.

"Faster" I said, lifting my hips up to meet him thrust for thrust. He did as I asked and soon he was pumping into me harder and faster.

After what felt like an eternity but was probably no more than a minute, I began to feel something start to build up in my body. I closed my eyes, feeling like I was about to explode.

"Caroline, look at me" I heard Klaus's voice and I opened my eyes. His face was only inches away from mine, his icy blue eyes on fire. "Don't close your eyes, love" He said and I nodded.

After a few more thrusts I felt myself fall over the edge. I called out his name and held onto him for dear life. He thrust into me a few more times before he called out my name and fell to my side, pulling the sheets around us.

I couldn't think of anything to say. I just looked up at the ceiling and tried to relax my breathing.

When Klaus pulled me into him I rested my head on his chest, content and tired.

I don't know when exactly I fell asleep, but I know I was holding Klaus's hand and his other arm was wrapped tightly around my waist.

* * *

**There you have it! (Yes, 3 updates in 3 days!)**

**Next week I actually start my dual enrollment classes so I'm trying to get as much writing in as possible! I hope it's not turning out too terrible...**

**Originally it wasn't in my plans to put the whole Bonnie scene in there, but I thought it would be a good idea to give you guys a little insight as to what's going on in the village.**

**Finally...I'm planning on keeping this story at 18 chapters (19 with the prologue) because I think that's about as many chapters as I need to close this thing up. But there is still a lot to be covered in the next four chapters so stay tuned! I won't give any hints but just know there are going to be a few plot twists **

**(But not as many as there are in Pretty Little Liars. Cuz I mean come on they've changed the story around so much, sometimes I think I'm A) **

**Bye for now!**

**~A (...I mean M)**


	16. Chapter 15

**Hey, everyone!**

**Read.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I woke up and looked down at Caroline laying on my chest, her blond hair spread out over her back and across my chest. I picked up one of her curly locks and twisted it around my finger, remembering how it looked splayed out on the pillow.

Our hands were still joined and I played with her fingers, waiting for her to wake up.

I kept thinking about what had happened last night, looping between thinking it was a dream and hoping she wouldn't regret it.

Being with Caroline had been like nothing I had ever experienced. Of course I had been with other women, but there was something I felt last night that I had never felt before.

She had been amazing, just like I thought she would be. Her fiery attitude and underlying prowess as shone through last night, and I had enjoyed every minute of it.

She began to stir and I waited for her to look up at me, just like she did every morning, but this time the situation was much more favorable.

Her thumb rubbed soothing circles on my hand and her soft lips planted a light kiss on my chest, above my heart.

She looked up, a small smile playing on her lips. She rested her chin on my chest. I took a second to appreciate her beauty. I had done so many times before, when she wasn't looking. But now as I shamelessly let my eyes roam over her features, I realized it was much more enjoyable when I knew she could see me doing it.

Her long curly hair cascaded over her shoulders, the golden locks framing her beautiful face. Her skin glowed in the room, her eyes sparkled like they had never before. I couldn't help but think that I had done this, I had brought on this state of bliss for her.

"Good morning" She said softly, tracing patterns on my shoulder with her free hand. Her fingers trailed up and down my shoulder blade, effectively distracting me for a moment.

"Good morning, sweetheart" I replied, breaking myself out of the trance.

I felt her leg slide over and she was laying flat on top of me. The feel of her soft skin against mine was the best feeling ever.

She released my hand and crossed her arms over my chest, resting her chin on top of her hands. I could feel every curve of her body- her plump breasts, her flat stomach, her long legs.

"How did you sleep?" She asked, her lips only a breath away from mine. I smirked, moving my hands up so that they rested on her lower back. Her skin was so intoxicatingly soft.

"That was the best night of my life" I said in a low voice. Her cheeks flushed a delightful shade of pink and I took the chance to capture her lips.

She returned the kiss immediately and moved so that she could wrap both her arms around my neck, her chest pressed against mine. I ran my hands up her sides, caressing her slim waist and skimming my fingers over the sides of her breasts.

She shivered and I smiled, slowly running my fingers down the curve of her spine and resting them on her hips.

In one fluid motion I had her rolled over and on her back. She kept her legs open, letting my settle comfortably in between them.

The need to make her mine became almost unbearable, but I pushed it down, taking my time with her lips, neck and collarbone.

When I reached her breasts her hand ran through my hair, massaging my scalp.

I kissed down to her belly button, taking my time with every inch of her skin.

When I got to her hip bone, I had to stop.

My face was changing, the two sets of canines elongated and the veins pulsed under my eyes.

I rested my forehead on her hip, trying to regain control.

"Nik?" Her sweet voice pierced the air and I willed my face to return to normal, but I couldn't.

"Are you okay?" She asked and her small hands came down to cupped my face.

I looked away, desperately trying to regain control.

` "Please, look at me" She begged and I slowly moved up so that she could see my face.

I opened my eyes and watched as her own darted around my face, taking in every detail. She grazed the tip of my teeth with her finger then she leaned forward and kissed the veins under my eyes.

She left kisses over my cheeks, chin, nose and forehead before finally touching her lips to mine. When she pulled away, I opened my eyes and stared at her, the look of pure adoration in her eyes making me groan internally.

"Better?" She said. I looked at her confused, before I realized that I was back to normal.

I nodded and she slid her hands down so that they rested on my lower back, her nails digging into my skin slightly.

"I need you" She breathed, leaning up again but this time to kiss my neck and shoulders, leaving little nips here and there.

"Caroline" I growled, needing her as much as she needed me.

"Hm" She hummed against the base of my throat, sending a wave of arousal down to my already hard member.

"Look at me" I said again and she did as I asked, her eyes hooded with desire.

I found her entrance and slid into her slowly, the look on her face almost made me lose it right there, but I held off, taking pleasure in the fact that I was the only one that could make her feel like this.

I pulled out almost completely, then pushed back all the way in, changing the angle every time, setting an agonizingly slow pace but enjoying every second of it.

She suddenly let out a whimper and dug her nails into my skin and I knew I had found her sweet spot. I adjusted myself so that I could hit it again and she wrapped her legs around me, taking me in all the way.

This time she cried out a little louder, her breathing becoming heavier.

I kept the same pace for what felt like an eternity, relishing in the moans and whimpers that would escape her lips each time. Her hands were all over my back, clawing at my skin. Her hot mouth left open mouthed kisses up the side of my neck until she reached my ear, lightly tugging at my lobe with her teeth.

I groaned, picking up the speed with each move, knowing that we would both come undone soon.

I reached around her to place my hand on her back, pushing her into me even more. She raised her hips to meet me each time, our bodies synchronized.

After a few more thrusts she trembled under me, my name slipping from her lips.

"Nik," She mumbled into my neck as she clung onto me. I let her ride her waves of pleasure, letting myself go after a few more thrusts, growling her name into her shoulder.

"That gets better every time we do it" I whispered and she let out a short laugh. I slid off of her but kept her at my side, letting her catch her breath while I did the same.

She kept her arms wrapped around me and I held onto her tight, feeling strangely at ease.

"What do you want to do today?" She asked tiredly, looking up at me. I smirked, pulling her even closer.

"I could think of a few things" I said and she quirked a brow, catching on after a couple of seconds.

"Oh, like what?" She asked, copying my smirk.

"Like keeping you-" I paused, grabbing one of the fallen covers and putting it over our bodies "in here-" I adjusted our position so that we were laying on our sides, facing each other, my arms closed around her middle "all day" I finished, mumbling the last part against her lips.

"Hmmm..." She hummed, biting her lip when I pulled away to hide her smile "And what will we do all day?" She asked.

"I intend to ravish you..." I started, dipping my head down to nip at her neck. Her nails ran slowly down my back and I fought to stay in control "Like no man will ever care to ravish you" I growled into her chest, causing her to gasp.

I looked up at her, afraid that I had scared her, but the look on her face said otherwise.

"Make me yours, Nik" She said and I felt my eyes widen, shocked at her request.

But it was like she had read my mind- like she knew that the wolf inside me needed to claim her, and wanted her to claim me.

"It would be my pleasure"

* * *

We spent most of the day locked in our bedroom, giving into our every need.

When we finally decided to get dressed, it was because I had to eat.

It was a couple of hours after noon and I sat in the parlor, waiting for Klaus to bring me something to eat.

Things had definitely changed last night- not only in our relationship, but in the way we acted around each other.

Before, we had a "friendship" worked out, there was always a faint tension in the air. After we kissed, it seemed to diminish to an extent.

But now, everything seemed to be at peace. We still didn't need to talk to each other to know what we had to say, but now I could feel him, like as if we were connected.

He came into the room with a plate of food, sitting down next to me. I climbed onto his lap, grabbing the plate and beginning to eat.

Our previous activities had made me ravenous.

"I was thinking we could go for a swim" He said while I fed him a slice of bread. I knew he didn't need to eat normal food, but it wouldn't hurt.

"That sounds nice" I said with a smile.

I felt his lips on my shoulder, his stubble tickling my skin.

"You're distracting me" I giggled, squirming in his lap to get away from his lips.

"Am I now?" He said seductively, slowly pulling down the already low cut sleeve of my dress, He placed a few more kisses on the newly exposed skin.

I laughed, putting the now empty plate on the table.

"Race you to the lake" I said, quickly hopping off of him and bolting for the door.

He was much faster than me, but he always played along.

I had pulled open the door and was already in the clearing when I stopped abruptly, noticing the blond girl standing a few feet away from me.

"Rebekah?" I said, recognizing her almost instantly.

"Caroline? What are you doing here?" She said, sounding as confused as I was.

"I could as you the same" I said, still in shock.

"Bekah" I heard Klaus from behind me.

"Nik, what is she doing here?" Rebekah said, and I tried not to get offended by her tone.

"She is my guest" He said, wrapping an arm around my waist.

I saw her eyes dart to his arm and then between us, picking up on what he was trying to say. Her face dropped from shocked to expressionless, something I had seen Klaus do countless times.

"We need to talk"

"Inside" He said, and I felt a tug on my waist, pulling me along.

When we got inside I sat down on the couch next to Klaus, Rebekah came in after us, shutting the door behind her.

"What were you thinking?" She practically yelled when she said when she sat down in front of us.

"Care to elaborate, sister?" Sister! Rebekah was his sister?

"Oh you know what I am talking about! You were already on thin ice with the Council and you do this? They don't know what you are, they only know about your stupid werewolf camp and you would risk it?" She ranted.

"Maybe I want them to know about me, what I am"

"Oh come on Nik! Is that the most prudent decision? You barely have an army up and they've already started training new soldiers"

"What?" Klaus shifted next to me, his posture tensed.

"You thought that your actions would go without consequence? You thought that you could just send back William Forbes, a former Council solder, with a two week lapse of memory and nothing would happen?"

"What?" It was my turn to tense up. I turned to Klaus, watching as he stared at his sister, making no move to deny what she had said "What did you do?" I said in a low voice, pushing away from him.

"Oh, you didn't tell her" I heard Rebekah from her spot in the room "And speaking of her- she's been gone for almost two months!"

"Be quiet, Rebekah" He threatened.

"No. She is William and Elizabeth Forbes's daughter- she is important. And let me tell you she's got some powerful friends. The Bennett witch? She almost has your compulsion reversed. And Lockwood-" I looked at her, surprised to hear Tyler's name "He's made a pretty decent fighter, aside from the fact that his undying love for Caroline drives his motivation, I-"

"Enough!" Klaus barked, getting up from his seat.

They stared each other down, the tension between them so thick that it could only be cut by the sharpest of knives.

I got up and walked around their standoff.

"Caroline," I heard Klaus from behind me, his hand grazed my arm.

"Don't-" I jerked away, looking him dead in the eyes, tears threatening to spill from mine "touch me"

I walked out of the room, rushing into the bedroom and slamming the door shut.

I stood in the center of the room for a long time, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time.

My emotions for Klaus had never failed to confuse me, but now they made me feel like I was going insane.

I was happy that my father was alive and well. But at the forefront of my mind, all I could think about was how much it hurt that Klaus had lied to me.

I sat with my back against the bed, thinking about all the time I had spent with Klaus- all the chanced he had to come clean.

But he hadn't.

I was mad that he had compelled my father, but I was beyond livid that he had omitted the truth for so long.

A knock on the door drew me out of thoughts and I realized the room was much darker than before.

Rebekah came in and sat down next to me. We were quiet for some time.

"Is he always such an ass?" I asked, mad and frustrated at the same time.

"You get used to it after over a century of having to put up with it" She said with a sigh.

"What did you mean when you said I was important?" I asked.

"I'm guessing Nik already told you about your parents" She stated and I nodded "Well, the Council is very aware of your abilities..."

"What are my abilities, exactly?"

"From what I've heard? You have increased speed, strength and agility. You're basically a supernatural being in the body of a human"

"Yeah, I've noticed"

"The thing is that they need you now. They thought that they had exterminated the werewolves of this woods. But now that they know that the werewolves aren't alone, they need all the help they can get"

"So they know I'm alive?" I asked, confused.

"They hope so" She said sadly before standing up and walking toward the door, stopping with her hand on the door knob.

"Niklaus left" She said, catching my attention "We had a bit of a spat and he stormed out- which is typical of him" I nodded, but she had more to say.

"I know he cares about you, Caroline. I haven't seen him like this. Ever." The tone her voice was taking implied a threat. "Don't hurt him. He may seem unbreakable- he's not"

I nodded again at a loss for words. She walked out of the room and I was left alone again.

The thought that she had thought that I could hurt him was scary. Could he have the same confusing feelings for me as I had for him? If he did, we were both in trouble.

After a couple of minutes I heard the door open and close and heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall.

I looked up to see Klaus at the door, looking tired and worn out.

I wanted to grab him and kiss away the worried look on his face, but I wasn't going to be weak about this now.

"I'm sorry" He said immediately, his face pleading "I'm sorry for not telling you that I had compelled your father" His expression shifted again, more cold and emotionless "But I do not regret doing it. I was protecting myself and my pack and I would do it again"

"Don't do that" I said, my voice coming out a little weaker than I intended.

"What?" He spat.

"That," I said, raising to my feet "Act like you don't have emotions"

"How do you want me to act then?" He asked, not sounding like he cared.

"I want you to act like my Nik" His eyes flickered for a moment, showing me the Klaus I had come to know. I stepped closer, cupping his face.

I watched him break down, the walls he had been building around himself coming down quick.

He reached up and held my wrist for a moment before pulling them from his face, pulling me into his embrace.

He buried his face at the crook of my neck and I traced light patterns on the back of his neck.

We stayed like that for a while, just breathing each other in.

"I have to go, don't I? That's why you were acting so cold" I asked. He tensed and pulled away slowly, the look in his eyes giving me my answer.

"No, I can keep you safe" He said confidently.

"I don't doubt that" I smiled knowing that he would do anything to protect me "But if I'm here, I can't keep you safe" I said, whispering the last part. "That's why Rebekah is here, isn't it?"

"What did she tell you?" He said, searching my eyes.

"Nothing about whatever she told you to make you so upset" I said knowingly.

"You don't have to go, I can work everything out" He said, tightening his grip on my waist, his voice pleading again.

"I am sure you can" I said with a wry smile.

"Then stay" He leaned in closer, his voice taking on a dreamy quality.

"You know I can't" I said, the space between our lips diminishing until they touched, capturing each other in a sweet but passionate kiss.

"Stay with me tonight" He said between kisses "Please..."

I pulled him towards the bed, still locked in his kisses.

* * *

I slid out from under Klaus's arm, moving across the bed and climbing out from under the covers. I slowly padded over toward the wardrobe and opened the doors, trying to keep the noise level to a minimum.

I looked for the dress I had worn when I had been journeying here. I had washed it and kept it, just in case I would need it.

After slipping it on I grabbed the cloak and band that had been on the bed side table since the night I had left them there, quickly making my way towards the door, opening it as quietly as possible.

I looked over my shoulder at the man still laying in bed.

His features looked peaceful and just as handsome as when I had first laid eyes on him. His bare chest rose and fell with his breathing, one of his strong arms reaching out to the empty space next to him.

The space I was supposed to be in.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and tore my eyes away before I would regret leaving. I threw on the cloak and secured the band around my wrist, walking out of the house and around to Spade's stable.

"Hey boy," I whispered and he shuffled around in the stable "We're going for a little ride" I said, opening the stable doors and letting him out, running back to get my sword, ax, bow and arrows.

I mounted Spade in one fluid motion, kicking his sides and leading him into a slow trot.

When I made it to the clearing, I was faced with Rebekah again. She gave a me one look, and made a gesture to follow her.

I did, and I rode behind her for a while until she came to an abrupt stop.

"You left him before he woke up?" She asked and I nodded. "Good"

"What are we doing here exactly?" I asked.

"You tell me, you're the one that was smart enough to figure out that you had to leave" She said. Rebekah had said nothing about me leaving, but I had put that together by myself.

"How do you know you can trust me? You don't even know me, I could be going back to the Council to tell them everything I know" I said, narrowing my eyes.

"You won't do that. Why? Because I've seen the way you look at my brother, and the way he looks at you" She said matter-of-factly. I blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"So, what are we going to do?" She prompted and I thought for a couple of seconds.

"I have a plan"

* * *

**Aw, she left him :( **

**I wonder how he'll feel?**

**I wonder what she's planning...**

**Haha to be honest I don't even know for sure yet, but I have a pretty good idea. **

**So reasons for teardrops on my guitar: We only have three chapters left. How depressing. But I've thought of the ending and I'm so excited to get there, I'm sure you all are too!**

**And the ending has a pretty good twist, I'm proud of myself for coming up with it actually.**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: Again, super sorry for the wait! Thank you to all of you who favorited, followed and reviewed!**

**OH OH OH & I mentioned something about a drabble (I mentioned it in an update, which I probably deleted), and I'm planning on putting it up cuz I liked it. It's a like full blown short story so I think y'all will enjoy it :) I'll let you know when I put it up! **


	17. Chapter 16

**Hello, everyone!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I moved slowly along the edge, partly because we were trying to be quiet, but mostly because I was in agonizing pain.

Rebekah and I had been travelling for two days before we reached the edge of the woods, the edge that met my village. Last night we had decided that my story would seem more plausible if I had a few injuries to show for it.

So now I hunched over Spade's back, Rebekah following next to me so that I wouldn't injure myself anymore if I were to fall.

The blood had dried up for the most part, but you could still notice the gashes that ran up and down my arms and over my torso.

"I think this is good enough" I said as I picked the spot from where I would immerge into the village. It wasn't the area with the most traffic, but people were bound to see me soon. "You should get going" I said, turning to her with a tight lipped smile.

"I'm sorry that this was the only way" She said, looking at my now blood-soaked dress.

"It's alright. I have to make it believable" I said, ignoring the small pangs that hit every now and then.

"I'll be on my way now," She said as she backed away "Good luck" She called out over her shoulder, and then she was gone.

I stayed there for a couple of minutes, going over the plan in my head. Of course I didn't need to, I was the one who came up with it and all. But going over the little details helped calm my nerves.

I took a deep breath, hunching over a bit more and schooling my features into one of pain.

I kicked Spade's side, easing him into a slow trot and passed the edge of the woods. I kept my head down but kept moving forward.

I was coming in through the side of the village, straight into the center square.

I saw a little girl passing by. She glanced at me then ran toward her mother, yanking at her dress and pointing at me. Soon more people were getting closer, murmuring and whispering, calling for help.

"Caroline?" I heard a familiar voice- Tyler's voice. He broke through the crowd, coming up to stand next to me.

"Tyler?" I managed to say weakly, feeling guilty for having to lie to him. I let my body fall limp and off the horse, right into Tyler's arms. I was shocked at how strong he had gotten. Or had he always been this strong? He had been training with the Council after all.

"Caroline? Are you okay? Wake up" He shook me to try and wake me, but I kept my eyes shut. I felt him adjust me in his arms and then began to walk, shouting orders at some men to put Spade in a stable. "Don't worry, I'll take you to Bonnie" He said soothingly.

Internally, I was excited to get to see Bonnie again, but I stayed still, playing the part.

I swayed back and forth as he walked, soon hearing the sound of a door opening and then I was placed on a hard surface.

"Bonnie!" Tyler's yelled. I heard his footsteps go into the back only to return, accompanied by another set of footsteps.

"Oh my-" I heard Bonnie's voice. She gasped and I felt her come closer. I let my eyes flutter open a bit, then I peeked up at her.

"Bonnie?" I croaked. She had her hands covering her mouth, her eyes wide.

"Care-" She said, but couldn't continue. She turned to Tyler and rattled off some instructions. I let my eyes close and let the events unfold.

Rebekah had informed me that Bonnie had been becoming more powerful everyday, and would most likely know a healing spell.

I heard the front door open and closed and I assumed that it could only have been Tyler. I heard Bonnie going around the room, surely picking out things from the shelves. I let my body relax and let my mind wander.

I internally congratulated myself for my exceptional acting skills, glad that I had been able to convince everyone that I was injured. I did feel guilty, though. These were my best friends. I had known Bonnie and Tyler since I was a little girl, and I had never lied to them.

Now I was lying to them to protect a man I had hardly known for two months.

I was insane.

I thought about Klaus back in the woods. I had tried not to think of him as best as I possibly could because I didn't want to lose focus. That task proved harder than I thought it would because he was almost all I could think about.

His touch, his smile, his smirk. The way his sandy curls felt between my fingers...

The last time we had been together I had seen the hopelessness in his eyes, like as if he thought he could lose me at any moment.

Bonnie's grandmother had told us about how werewolves mate for life. After they mark their lover, it's a bond that lasts forever.

I saw Klaus's need to make me his and for some reason I wanted to be his.

I felt Bonnie's fingers gently push up the sleeves of my dress so that she could get better access to my arms. Next, a slimy substance was being slathered onto the cuts.

I fought to stay calm and play the part of someone who was unconscious, but it started getting harder as more of the slimy substance came into contact with the cuts, and they started to itch.

She slowly tore at the dress around my torso so that she could get better access to the large cut that ran across my stomach.

More of the slimy substance.

I breathed, trying my best not to clench my fists but it was getting hard.

I distracted myself, going over the plan in my head a dozen times, thinking about the woods, Klaus, Rebekah, my father.

I heard Bonnie begin to talk, but in a different language. She seemed to be chanting, her voice picking up in intensity as the words flew out of her mouth. When she stopped, the itching stopped.

I stayed still, not sure if it was okay to "wake up".

Everything was eerily quiet, and I waited a few minutes before slowly opening my eyes.

"Care," Bonnie breathed out a sigh of relief. She was standing next to me with a large book open in her hands. She closed it and set it on a nearby table, moving back to look at my cuts.

"What happened?" I said, looking down at my completely healed injuries. I moved my hand and touch the skin of my arm and stomach- it was like as if nothing had happened. "What... I-I don't understand?" I said, sitting up.

"A few things happened while you were gone" Bonnie said with a small smile. I pulled her into a hug, glad to have my friend with me again.

"I missed you, Bon" I said, he was stiff at first, trying to make sure I was alright, I guessed. She finally returned the hug, laughing a little.

"I missed you too, Care" Being away from the village had made me feel homesick. I tried not to think about it while I was in the woods, but now being back and seeing Tyler and Bonnie felt great.

We pulled away and I got a good look at Bonnie. She looked...older.

There were dark circles under her eyes and her hair and clothes were a mess.

"Geez, Bonnie! You look terrible"

"Thanks, Caroline. You look great, too" She replied sarcastically and began picking up veils and jars, putting them on shelves and arranging books.

The door opened just as I was about to throw back a witty remark, and Tyler came bursting in.

"Caroline!" He said, caught off guard with the fact that I was sitting up straight and completely healed. He deposited whatever he had in his hands on a table and rushed over to gather me into a bear hug.

"It's nice to see you too, Ty" I said as best as I could, but he was squeezing the air out of my lungs.

"Oh, I'm sorry" He said pulling back but keeping his hands on my shoulders. "Are you alright?" He asked, holding me at arms length and looking over me.

"Yes, I'm fine" I reassured him. Tyler was still my best friend, but after Rebekah mentioned that he was in love with me, I didn't want to give him the wrong idea. "What's that?" I asked, nodding toward the pale he had dropped on the table.

"Food and clothes for you" He said, going over to grab it.

"Good, I'm starving" Lie. Rebekah and I had eaten a few hours before and I wouldn't be hungry for another while. But I was playing the role of a girl who had gone missing for almost two months and came back in tatters- not being hungry would blow my cover.

I went into the back to change into the dress that Tyler had brought me. It was one of mine so I guessed he had went to my cabin to get it.

When I went back out I did my best to inhale the food he had brought me, not bothering to be ladylike.

"When was the last time you had a decent meal?" Bonnie said with a laugh. She and Tyler sat watching me, so I ducked my head and tried not to look them in the eyes.

"A while" Lie. Again. I felt the mood shift instantly. It had been light before- we had been joking around and enjoying our little reunion. Now both their faces got serious.

"Caroline, there's somewhere we need to take you"

"To the Council? I know" I said, stuffing more bread into my mouth as their mouths hung open.

"H-How do you know about the Council?" Tyler was the one who asked while Bonnie tried to recover.

"A few things happened while I was gone" I said, echoing Bonnie's words. I looked at them both seriously.

This was what was meant to happen, Rebekah had told me.

The Council would want to see me because of my father, and because of the fact that they might want to use me against whatever they thought was in the woods.

So after I finished eating, Bonnie and Tyler both lead me toward the outskirts of the village. We started about a two mile walk through the meadow and into a more foliated area. The trees weren't exactly like those of the woods- they had smaller trunks and were paler. There was no grass on the ground- just dead leaves and dirt along with some rocks.

Tyler, who had been walking in front of both me and Bonnie, stopped. He looked around and then glanced at me. He bent down and moved aside some leaves. He pulled something off his wrist- a band, just like my father's.

I looked down at the band around my wrist, identical to his. He pressed the metal seal into the ground. The soft click of what sounded like a lock echoed in my ear and he pulled at something- a door.

The door came up from the ground, revealing the flight of stairs that went deeper into the earth. The steps were made of stone as was as the walls, and torches lit the way. It reminded me of the entrance to Klaus's dungeon.

I shook away the thought and followed Tyler who had stepped in, grabbing a torch off the wall.

There were only a few steps, but the winding path felt like it went on forever and it got colder the deeper we went in.

We reached the end of the tunnel and I was faced with a large room. The whole room was filled with people- well, they seemed to be grouped into pairs and they were a good distance apart, but there were a lot of people.

They were all fighting, each on with their respective partners.

I watched as one man lunged for his partner, managing to knock him of his feet, but he soon recovered and resumed his defensive stance.

There men as well as women. Some were as young as me and others were as old as my dad.

"Come on" Tyler side, taking a left and walking along the wall. I followed behind him, watching all the partners fight, one of them catching my eye.

"Is that Elena?" I stopped and watched as the brunette dodged a punch and dropped to the ground to kick her opponent's feet from under them. Her opponent, a man much larger and older than her, got up quickly and stepped back, holding his hands out in front of him to block a kick.

"Yes," Bonnie said, giving me a gentle push so that I would keep walking. I kept looking at Elena, watching as she danced around her opponent and landed punches and kicks.

"In here" Tyler's voice snapped me out of my train of thought. I looked at him and he gestured toward an open door, signalling for me to walk in.

I went ahead of them, walking into the dark room.

Again, the only thing lighting the room were the torches on the walls, and a fire pit in the center of the room.

I could see a group of people standing around the fire in a semi-circle. Some wore red cloaks, others didn't.

I gulped, becoming highly aware of the band around my wrist and the cloak on my shoulders.

"Step forward, Caroline Forbes" One of the figures said. They weren't close enough to the fire for me to see their faces, but the voice sounded familiar. I stepped closer to the fire pit so that I was facing them.

They did the same, and their features became evident.

"This is impossible" I gasped, my hand flying over my mouth, my eyes about to pop out of their sockets.

John Gilbert, Richard Lockwood, Logan Fell- all of them were there. And they were all supposed to be dead.

"You-You all died! You're supposed to be dead!" I said, getting a better look at their faces. They looked exactly the same as when I had seen them.

"Not exactly" A female voice echoed through the room and I had to blink to make sure it was real.

"Mom?" I asked, my voice breaking. One of the woman in the red cloaks removed her cap. I recognized the blonde hair and bright eyes.

"Hello, honey" She said with a smile, her eyes crinkling as she smiled. She was older. I took a few heavy breaths and tried to calm down, composing myself. This had not been expected.

"What is the meaning of this?" I asked, looking at all the faces in the room. The women took their cloak caps off and I recognized Jenna Sommers and Pearl amongst the group. All of them were ghosts.

"We are the Council" Richard Lockwood said, his voice booming off the walls.

"You're all supposed to be dead" I reiterated, a bit more calm now. As much as I wanted to look at my mother, I couldn't. She would see right through me.

"Yes, we feign our deaths so that our enemies will not know who we are, and who our loved ones are" Pearl chimed in.

"Enemies?"

"Yes, enemies. We hunt supernatural creatures and make sure they do not disrupt human life" Logan said.

"We maintain the balance" John Gilbert spoke up.

"Many years ago, we waged a battle with a dangerous werewolf pack that had been growing in the woods. We thought we had been able to extinguish them, but..." Jenna started.

"But a couple of weeks ago your father came stumbling out of the woods with a two week gap in his memory. We are afraid there are still supernatural creatures lurking in the woods, and they are a threat to this village" Richard Lockwood finished.

"So, there are a few details we'd like to to clear up" Pearl said. I signed and looked at all of them. I knew them all from when I was younger, and I had mourned for their deaths.

John Gilbert had committed suicide.

Richard Lockwood had disappeared into the woods.

Logan Fell had died in a fire.

Jenna Sommers died in labor.

Pearl had drowned.

My mother had disappeared.

Suddenly, I didn't feel so guilty about lying to them anymore.

"I am aware of the Council, and your soldiers, and that I am some sort of super soldier. I know about the werewolf pack you attacked and about you keeping the balance between the supernatural and humans" I paused and watched their stoic faced, continuing with the speech I had practiced over and over in my head.

"When I went to look for my father, after he disappeared into the woods, I found him. He was under the control of a vampire. The vampire let him go, in exchange for me. I was in his dungeon for weeks before I ever saw him again, and I was able to gain his trust"

"There's a vampire in the woods?" Lockwood asked.

"Yes, let me explain" I said, "He told me that he found the werewolf pack, destroyed and dying. He said that he had been watching them for some time and took his opportunity once they had been attacked. He approached them, healed them with his blood and offered to lead them and to help them become powerful once again" I took a breath before continuing, looking at their interested expressions.

"They accepted his guidance, and he said they had been doing well for some time, but that recently the werewolves had started rebelling, and that he had to kill some of them to make an example out of them, so that no one else would rebel"

"He trusted you so much as to tell you all of this?" Pearl asked.

"I don't know. I think he was going to kill me in the end, so whatever he told me wouldn't matter" They all nodded, accepting my explanation.

"Continue" Jenna prompted.

"During one of his visits, I managed to get him to tell me about who attacked him. That's when he told me all about the Council and how the children of council soldiers were stronger and better prepared than other"

"Yes, we believe that is true" Fell nodded.

"So, when I was alone, I began to train myself, trying to reach my true potential. My father had already taught me a few combat moves so I tried to get stronger and quicker" I said, then looked down at the ground.

"I was able to make a stake out of an upturned root in my cell. When I felt ready, I waited for him to return. He got close to me while he was talking and I..." I trailed off, feeding into my role as well as not being able to continue. The thought of hurting close made me sick.

"I killed him" I spat out "When I went out to the camp where the pack was, there were no more that 20 there, and I was able to kill them all as well" I said as cold as I could, remembering Marcel and his group of traitors- how he had hurt Klaus. How they had hurt me.

"You took out a pack of werewolves and I vampire, by yourself?" Gilbert asked skeptically and I nodded, remaining serious. Some of the Council memeber began to whisper to each other and I caught a few words like "much stronger" and "useful". I almost sneered.

"You returned unscathed?" Lockwood asked and I shook my head.

"I was in pretty bad shape. I got on my horse and rode for ten days until I reached the woods. Bonnie patched me up a little while ago" They all nodded.

"Well, it seems we have a hero in our midst" Fell said, smiling slightly. I smiled back, and everyone clapped softly. I still hadn't looked at my mother, thank goodness she had not asked anything.

"Why don't you get some rest, you must be tired after such a long journey" Pearl said, sounding like a doting mother.

"Yes, you should rest. We need you in top shape so that you could start training soon" Lockwood said.

"Training? For what?" I said, acting innocently confused. On the inside, I was going insane.

"Well, just because the woods is clear doesn't mean there aren't anymore supernatural creatures out there. I heard there was a band of vampires to the north, we need all the help we can get" Lockwood replied and I nodded thoughtfully. At least they wouldn't be going into the woods.

"I'll walk you out" Mother finally spoke, coming closer and putting an arm around my shoulder, leading me out of the room. I wrapped my arm around her waist, glad she was safe and alive.

"I missed you mom" I said.

"I've missed you too, honey. You've grown into quite the woman" She smiled proudly. We talked a bit more until we reached the tunnel entrance.

"I cannot go any further" She said, and I turned to her, unshed tears behind my eyes.

"Will I see you again?" I asked hopefully.

"I'll be here to watch you train" She said, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind my ear. I smiled and nodded, giving her a quick hug before turning to leave.

"Oh and Caroline" She called and I turned back to her. She pulled her cap over her head again before continuing "Get some rest, sweetie" She said with a smile before disappearing.

I met Tyler and Bonnie outside and noticed that the Sun was already setting. We walked back to the village while they caught me up on everything I missed and I told them what had "happened" in the woods.

We reached my cabin and Tyler walked me up the steps.

"I'm so glad you're okay" He said, pulling me into another hug. I returned it and smiled.

"Me, too" He pulled away but kept his arms around me, our faces a few inches apart. Red flags went up everywhere as I tried to push away, but he didn't notice. He kept getting closer.

"So, see you tomorrow" I blurted out quickly and slipped out of his grasp, getting in the house and shutting the door.

I went straight to bed and flopped down on my mattress, thinking about Klaus until I fell asleep.

* * *

I felt the hard ground underneath me as I sat up, opening my eyes and stretching my sore back.

As I did, I heard the sound of a heavy metal door creaking open, and then Bonnie came into view.

"Bonnie?" I asked, still groggy from sleep. She lay on the ground, trying to sit up. The door slammed shut.

I looked around and noticed the stone walls and metal doors.

This wasn't my room.

Bonnie sat up against the wall and huffed, pulling her messy hair away from her face and dusting herself off.

"What are we doing here, what happened?" I asked, trying to get up, but my legs were like goo.

"Don't try, you dosed you with one of my potions while you were sleeping. It'll wear off in a while" She said.

"They?"

"The Council" She clarified.

"Why would they drug me?" I asked, honestly confused.

"Because they know you lied" She said bitterly, and I tried to remain composed.

"I didn't lie" I said seriously, furrowing my brow.

"Oh, cut the crap Caroline" She said, but she didn't sound angry. She sounded tired.

"Why are you in here?" I asked.

"Because I lied, too" She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked and she sighed.

"I was given the task of returning your father's memory and getting that information to the Council. I was able to do that weeks ago, but I didn't say anything"

"Why?"

"Because he asked me not to" She said, looking at me now.

"Why would he do that?"

"He said that it was because that monster was keeping you safe" She said and I clenched my jaw. She sighed again "The Council got to him yesterday and forced him to confess. So once the truth was out, they knew you had lied. They know about the hybrid and the large werewolf pack that's out there- still alive" She shook her head "And they'll know where he is because they'll force your father to show them"

"What?" I practically yelled, not bothering to hide my inner turmoil anymore. They were going to find Klaus, and I was stuck here.

I tried to control my thoughts, breathing deeply. The room started to get hot and stuffy but I knew it was just me.

Then the door flew open, and I swear I had never been so happy to see Rebekah in my life.

Behind her, along the dungeon corridor, there were bodies on the floor. Guards she had taken out, not doubt.

"Caroline, we have to go" She came in and helped me up. I tried to walk and did so slowly.

"The Council-" I started.

"I know. They're on their way to get Nik as we speak. We need to go" She said urgently, turning to leave.

"Wait, Bonnie" I said, going to Bonnie and helping her up. We made our way out of the dungeon.

I looked around where we exited- it was the back of the blacksmith's workshop.

We were under the village.

There was a dungeon under the village.

I shook the thought out of my mind as we reached Bonnie's shop. I was able to walk normally now so I moved around the shop, grabbing my belonging that I had left there the day before.

"Let's go" Rebekah said, exiting the shop.

"One second" I said, and found Bonnie in the back, drinking some tea.

"Why are you doing this, Care?" She asked over her cup.

"Because I love him" I said without hesitating, which took her back a little.

"Be careful" She said.

"I will" I nodded and pulled her in for a hug "But I need to ask you for a favor"

* * *

**Sorry for the lack of Klaus in this update, but he'll be back soon :)**

**That whole council-being-composed-of-supposedly-dead-people twist was a surprise for me, too! I hadn't planned it- it just happened.**

**I can't believe there are only 2 chapters left! Ah!**

**Oh and some of you guys wanted it to keep going (the story), but I'm not sure I can! I feel like ending it in two more chapters would be the best choice for the story. But you'll see why ;)**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: My website is almost ready, I'm almost done with college, Ezra Fitz came back and JoMo will be on TV soon! I am so excited :D**


	18. Chapter 17

**Hello, everyone!**

**I'm too excited for you guys to read so go go go!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I sat looking at the withered sheet of parchment in my hand. Caroline's angelic features were brought to life by smooth charcoal lines- the curve of her lips, the shine in her eyes.

I put it down on the pile of drawings, picking up the glass bottle filled with amber liquid and taking a swing.

There were sketches of her on Spade, sitting on the couch in the parlor, sitting on the rock by the lake. My favorites ones were the ones where she was smiling, her light practically radiated off the page.

But no matter how accurate the sketch, nothing was better than having the real thing here.

I wanted to hear the sound of her voice, the echo of her laugh through the room. I longed for her touch, the feel of her bare skin against mine, her plump lips and soft hair.

The morning I had woken up without her there had been one of the worst. I could almost feel her tucked into my side, her fingers laced through mine, her long blonde locks spread out over my chest.

By I was teased by the cold sheets.

She hadn't said goodbye, but she treated that night like a goodbye.

Her kisses were more passionate, her fiery touch transmitted all her emotions and we spent the night wrapped up in each other, worshipping each other.

I made her mine, marked her as my mate and she seemed to be doing the same- ruining me for every other woman who would cross my path.

There would be no one after Caroline.

Another swing. I rested my head on the back of the armchair I was sitting in. The curtains were drawn, keeping the library dark and secluded.

I had been sitting like that since the moment I found out she was gone, looking at sketches of her, drinking my way through my supply of alcohol.

Suddenly I felt a shift in the air.

I listened for any activity around the cabin, but everything was silent.

I walked around the room, furrowing my brow as I got an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of my stomach- something was wrong.

I put my bottle down and walked out of the cabin, following the familiar route to the werewolf camp.

I ran as fast as I could but remained stealth, staying quiet and making sure I had a clear view of every angle around me.

I slowed down as I got closer to the edge of the camp, walking at human pace.

I watched first- everything looked about the same. Some of the werewolves walked around carrying firewood and supplies. Some of the women were tending to their homes while others were at the fire pit, cooking what seemed to be the camp's lunch.

There was no panic and everything seemed to be normal.

I stepped into the camp's boundaries, my hands clasped behind my back.

As I passed each werewolf they bowed their heads in respect and I acknowledged them, looking around carefully.

Suddenly, something flew past my head, whizzing through the air and lending on the tree behind me- an arrow.

I turned in the direction from which it had come and watched as figures began to appear between the trees. They were dark at first, their forms protected by the shadows. But as they stepped forward, the red cloaks came into view.

The Council.

They surrounded the camp, a myriad of red cloaks and burly men creating a sort of human fence around the area.

The werewolves seemed to pick up on the eminent danger and began forming their ranks. They stood shoulder to shoulder behind me, their eyes darting everywhere.

I did the same, but kept a calm and cool exterior.

"Who here is known as Niklaus?" A female voice echoed through the air, the sound bouncing off the trees. I couldn't find the source- she must have been hiding.

"It depends on who would like to know" I replied with a smirk, watching the particularly large group of Council members in front of me. The stance of the soldiers in front suggested that they were protecting something- or somebody.

I immediately thought of Caroline- was she responsible for this? Was this why she left? She hadn't told me why she was leaving and I assumed that we had been on the same page. Maybe it was all just a ruse to get me to let her go...

The crowd parted and a particularly unkempt William Forbes landed on the ground. He coughed a couple of times before pushing himself up and onto his feet, swaying back and forth before he was able to regain his balance.

A figure in a red cloak stepped forward and stood next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The man let out a muffled yelp and fell to his knees, the figure in the red cloak kept her hand on his shoulder.

"Is that him?" The woman said and his eyes landed on me. He nodded frantically and the woman let go of his shoulder. He fell to the ground and rolled onto his side, clutching his shoulder and gasping for breath.

"You are Niklaus" The woman stated.

"The one and only" I said, taunting the woman. She reached up and removed her cap, her blonde hair falling out over her shoulders.

I tried not to look surprised, but the resemblance to Caroline was undeniable. I smirked, figuring out a way to faze her momentarily.

"And you must be Elizabeth Forbes" I quipped and watched as her eyes grew wider. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" I question cocking my head to the side.

"That is not of importance" She said, waving the detail aside and acting like as if it hadn't fazed her. "So you are Niklaus, the leader of this werewolf camp?"

"Alpha" I corrected with a smirk. The Council soldiers around the camp seemed to huf or growl in annoyance.

"You are the alpha, correct?" Elizabeth asked again, much more annoyed than before. I nodded and she continued "Very well. I have a proposition for you, Niklaus"

"Proceed" I said and waited for her to continue. There was no way I was going to accept what the Council would propose, but listening would buy me some time to think of a strategy.

"We are here for the sole purpose of maintaining the balance between your supernatural world and the mortal world. Years ago we believed we had restored that balance when we attacked this camp, but it seems you have been able to replenish and grow once more" She said the last part with what sounded like a low growl and I chuckled.

"Yes, we do seem to be quite a nuisance" I quipped and some of the wolves laughed.

"The only reason you and your camp are a threat to the balance-" She continued her speech as though I had not interrupted "is because you are much too large"

"And much too strong" I added, knowing that that was the main reason. It wasn't because we were too large- there was at least one other werewolf pack that was about as large as mine. But they weren't attempting what I was attempting.

She remained stoic, once again ignoring my comment, but the annoyance and slight worry was evident in her features.

"Our proposition is that you disband your camp permanently, and we will let you all live" She threatened.

I looked at her pensively, eyeing the small army that surrounded us and the crowd that was gathered behind her.

"Alright, now let's say that I accept this proposition-" I paced around a bit before stopping "What would I get?" I asked.

"What do you mean? Isn't keeping your life enough for you?" She asked bewildered and I chuckled again.

"No, no, no. See- your proposition lacks meat" I continued and began getting closer to her. "If I disband this camp permanently," I turned and gestured to the wolves behind me "We all leave this place unscathed, and I get to keep Caroline" I said seriously.

"Why would you want Caroline?" She asked, taken aback.

"Oh, I was having quite a lot of fun with her before she managed to run away. I'd like her back" I added possessively. It wasn't a lie, and I thought for a second that if they did agree to my terms, I would agree to theirs. If it meant having Caroline back, I would do anything.

"She's not yours!" I heard someone yell and I saw some shuffling along the edge of the camp. One of the Council soldiers was trying to get closer while two others held him back "Leave her alone!" He yelled again and continued to fight against the other soldiers. I threw him a smirk, catching on.

"You must be Tyler Lockwood" I said, disgusted. The only thing keeping me from ripping his head off right then was the fact that it would immediately wage a war, and I needed more time to think.

"How do you know who I am?" He asked, freezing momentarily.

"Caroline might have mentioned you- once" I taunted and he began thrashing again.

"That is enough" Elizabeth said and I turned my attention back to her.

"Those are my conditions" I said seriously and made my way back to my place in front of the pack, watching as Elizabeth Forbes weighed her options.

The fact that she was even considering handing her daughter off someone as dangerous as me proved that she didn't care in the least about her daughter.

She probably did at some point, but that is what happens when you join the Council- you are stripped of your emotions so that you do not have a weakness. Especially their leaders.

I had once lived based on that doctrine, but that was before I met Caroline. Her light and kindness was something that not even the darkest beings could deny.

"No," Elizabeth finally said "I do not agree to your conditions" She said with finality.

"Very well" I said with a curt nod.

Then all hell broke loose.

* * *

"We're never going to make it!" I shouted to the blonde running ahead of me. The air whooshing past me and the sound of Spade's hoof beats pounding against the earth drowned out my voice but I knew Rebekah had heard me.

She began to slow down a while later.

"How did they even get there so fast?" I asked and watched as she began looking around. She walked around trees and examined the ground.

"They used a portal potion, and a rather large one at that" She started as she continued to examine our surroundings "Your witch friend Bonnie must have prepared it for them" She said more to herself than to me.

"Alright, but why have we stopped?" I asked frantically. If they had used the portal potion that she spoke of, they could be there already, and we were still here.

"Portal potions tend to stay open for a while after they have been used. It has to be around here..." She trailed off as she stopped in front of a tree "Here"

"There?" I asked skeptically. The tree looked normal to me.

She reached forward to touch the tree's trunk, but her hand disappeared.

"Yes, here" She said before stepping in.

I watched in wonder as she completely disappeared into the tree's trunk. When she didn't come back, I hopped off of Spade and grabbed my bow and arrows, slinging the quiver over my shoulder and holding on tightly to the bow. I patted Spade's side and tied him to a nearby tree before turning back to the tree.

I took a deep breath and got closer to the trunk before stepping in.

I walked a little bit further before stopping.

I slowly opened my eyes and found that I was still in the woods, but when I looked back, Spade was gone.

It worked.

I looked around until some movement caught my attention. Through the foliage, I saw figures running back and forth. As I got closer, there was shouting and screaming.

I pushed through a bush and found myself at the edge of the clearing where Klaus's cabin was located.

But now there were bodies on the floor, Council soldiers fighting what I assumed were werewolves (but they had not transformed).

I looked around frantically and caught a glimpse of Rebekah, standing on the outskirts of the fight like I was.

She looked over at me and I nodded, understanding that she couldn't join the fight because it would blow her cover.

I looked back at the tumult of people, searching for anyone I knew.

I stepped in, fighting off anyone that would get in my way.

I dodged a punch and swung my bow around to hit my attacker in the in the ribs. He doubled over and I kicked him to the ground. As soon as he was down another attacker came at me.

I didn't care who I was hitting, I was just trying to find Klaus or my mom or anyone that I could get to to stop this.

As I got rid of another attacker someone hit me square in the jaw, the momentum of the hit sending me back.

I turned back to my new attacker, holding my hands up in defense. My eyes widened as soon as I saw the long brown hair and olive skin.

"Caroline?" Elena said, just as shocked as I was. I looked her over, noticing the red cloak as well as the blood and cuts that were all over her. She was breathing heavy, just like me. But there was something different about her- something I had seen the day I had gone down to the Council headquarters.

"Elena" I stated, taking in a deep breath. She would remember why she was here and why I was here soon, and I didn't know how she would react.

"How- why?" She stuttered a couple of times but I couldn't answer either question. I didn't really know why I was there. All I knew was that as soon as I heard that Klaus was possibly in danger, I wanted to be here with him.

The moment of hesitation seemed to be enough for her and something shifted in her eyes. Her Council training kicked in and she lunged forward, her fist almost connecting with my jaw again.

"Elena-" I tried to get her to listen but as soon as I dodged one blow, she dropped to the floor and tried to kick my legs out from under me. I jumped before she could, anticipating her move.

She got to her feet and attacked again, going for a punch, and then another. I blocked each advance and ducked away from each blow.

"Elena I don't want to-" I started, but before I could finish, instinct kicked in and I swung my arm, hitting her cheekbone. I froze, not knowing what to do.

She looked at me appalled. I took a step back and she attacked again.

She would hit, I would hit. She would block, I would block. She would kick, I would kick.

We weren't evenly matched but we were both holding back. Well, at least I was. She was still the Elena I had grown up with, the one I had gotten along with better than Katherine. She was my best friend who I went to when I was feeling hurt or needed to talk.

I took one step back and my foot caught on something, sending me to the ground. As soon as I hit the ground I felt something pressing down on my windpipe and I opened my eyes to see Elena with her forearm on my neck.

"El-" I started, but talking hurt too much. I gasp for breath but it only made it worse.

"Why Caroline? Why would you lie?" She started "You could have told the truth and now you could be fighting side by side with your family and friends" She said, sounding sad.

"I-" I tried again, but it was impossible. My vision started to get splotchy and I started to see black dots everywhere.

Then the pressure went away and I coughed, catching my breath.

I looked back up, tears gather in my eyes. Through the blur I saw Elena standing over me. She looked down, a sad look in her eyes before she turned away.  
I coughed again and pushed myself up. After taking a few breaths I made my way through the crowd, this time dodging all the attackers, trying not to waste any energy.

I finally reached what seemed to be the center of the entire fight and caught a glimpse of Tyler pulling back an arrow, aiming for something in front of him.

Time slowed down as I turned my head and saw Klaus on his knees, bloody and beat, held down by three Council soldiers.

I was only a few meters away from him.

I took off, sprinting the short distance to place myself in front of him as the arrow flew through the air.

* * *

I closed my eyes and waited for the arrow to hit me. I hoped the Lockwood boy wouldn't have good aim, but that was wishful thinking.

But the arrow never hit.

Instead, something heavy fell on my lap.

I opened my eyes and saw the body that had fallen on me. The porcelain skin, the long golden locks, the small frame.

I felt the grip around my arms loosen as the Council soldiers let me go. I kept staring at the body.

I looked up momentarily to catch a glimpse of Tyler's horrified expression. I saw Elizabeth as well, her face as shocked as Tyler's.

I looked down at the body again, the arrow that was meant for my heart pierced through her chest.

With cold hands I grabbed her shoulder, pulling her gently so that I could get a better look at her face.

It couldn't be her. Please don't let it be her.

Her eyes were wide, her emerald orbs empty. Her pink lips were parted, her once glowing skin was now pale.

It was her.

I snapped the end of the arrow and pulled out the remaining piece, throwing it aside.

"Come on, Caroline" I whispered, cradling her in my arms. I bit into my wrist and placed it in her mouth, letting a good amount of blood into her system. "Come on, sweetheart. Wake up" I brushed aside some stray strands of hair from her face.

"Nik," I heard Rebekah whisper from behind me but didn't acknowledge her.

"What did you do?" I said in a low and dangerous voice to the Lockwood boy who was still frozen in his spot. "What did you do!" I roared and everything silenced.

The fighting stopped. All talking and shouting stopped. Nature even seemed to stop.

I turned back to Caroline, not daring to waste another breath on the idiot boy. He would get what he deserved later.

I bit into my wrist again, reopening the wound and pressing it to her lips again.

"It will not work" A raspy voice came from behind me and I turned to see William Forbes staggering forward. He was more beat up than when I had seen him earlier, but he managed to walk.

"Her body will not accept it" He said before looking down at his daughter sadly, a single tear escaping and running down the side of his face. "It is part of carrying the warrior gene. She was blessed with speed, agility, the ability to resist compulsion. But once her time came, there is nothing that can reverse it" He explained

The breeze swept through the clearing then and I looked around at all the bloody faces- some of my werewolves and some of the Council soldiers. They all watched as my Caroline slipped away from me, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Just like with Henrik, this was all my fault.

I turned back to Caroline and carefully closed her eyes.

I felt the moisture on my cheeks before I realized I was crying. I leaned down and placed my forehead on hers.

Everything was silent.

Suddenly, Caroline started to get lighter. I opened my eyes in time to see her body disappear, the wind taking away any traces of her.

"What is the meaning of this?" I asked bewildered. I felt Rebekah coming closer and she placed a hand on my shoulder

"Allow me to shed some light on the matter" She said with a wry smile.

* * *

I banged my fist in the wooden door and it creaked against the pounds. Silence.

I looked around the village. The streets were empty and hardly any windows had candles lit.

Rebekah stood next to me as we waited. A set of footsteps came toward the door before it swung open to reveal the Bennett witch.

"Hello, Bonnie" Rebekah said with a small smile. The witch gave her a curt nod.

"You must be Klaus" She said staring right at me.

"My reputation must precede me" I said rather uninterested. The only reason I was here was because Rebekah said that she would be able to give me some answers as to why Caroline's body vanished after she died.

"Yes, well I hope you don't feel offended but I will not be inviting you in this evening" She spat back- witches had never been fans of vampires.

"I just need you to answer some questions" I said.

"Tell me something first," She started, her tone of voice shifting from defensive to a more serious tone "Did Caroline...die?" She swallowed as she finished.

"Yes" Rebekah said without missing a beat. The witch nodded.

"She came to me before you left. I'm sure you were listening to our conversation?" She said, looking at Rebekah.

"Of course" Rebekah replied. The witch nodded again and then turned to me.

"Caroline came to me before she left and asked me to perform a spell. She knew that she would be facing death today by going after the Council to try and save you, so she asked me to perform a soul mate's spell" The witch said and then shifted her weight to lean against the threshold of the door.

"It was simple since your souls were already linked" She added and looked down. I assumed Caroline had told her about our...marking.

"So why did she disappear?" I asked.

"I didn't know exactly what would happen, but I assumed since you are immortal, something of this nature would occur" She said.

"What do you mean you didn't know what would happen?" I asked. She didn't know Caroline would disappear?

"You have to understand that this situation had never been faced before" She huffed "But my assumptions seem to be correct. It seems that Caroline's soul has passed on to the other side, where she will be waiting for her own body to be reborn"

"So...she's alive?" I asked, not sure if I should be relieved.

"In theory, yes" The witch nodded.

"So, when do I get to see her again?" I asked, remembering the feeling of her body disappearing in my arms.

"That, I am not certain" She said, looking at the ground "Nature favors balance, and she will come into the world of the living once again when nature sees it fit" She said cryptically. "But, I am not certain her memories will be in tact. She may suppress any memory of her former life until the time is right"

"And when will that be?" I asked impatiently. I had dealt with witches before and they were always very spiritually oriented. They believed that nature would always restore balance, but she had to know at least something.

She shook her head and I saw the tears building up in her eyes.

I had lost my lover, but I would see her again. Bonnie had lost her long time friend, but she would never see her again.

"Only time will tell."

* * *

**Plot twist and cliff hanger? I am a terrible, terrible person.**

**Anyways, I finish my summer classes this Friday so I am hoping to get something up this weekend.**

**I am just way to excited for the next chapter! I think it's probably one of my favorites.**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, favoriting and following this story! ****_(If I get to 100 reviews by the end of today I might be persuaded into surprising y'all this weekend *wink wink*)_**


	19. Chapter 18

**Hello, everyone!**

**Final chapter, here we go!**

**Ohmygod I'm too excited!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The years passed and I only got to see Caroline at night when I would close my eyes.

Sometimes we would talk, sometimes we would do nothing but look at each other. I prefered those dreams to the ones where we were doing...other things. Those left me feeling cold and alone when I awoke because I knew that Caroline wasn't alive.

Well, at least not yet.

The ghost of her touch would torment me at night and during the day she was constantly on my mind.

There was a time when I thought she hadn't been real. That she had just been a figure of my imagination.

That went on for twenty-four years, and every night I had a new woman in my bed. I hardly slept because I knew she would be there when I closed my eyes, and throughout the day I would distract myself so that I wouldn't think about her.

I even went as far as turning off my emotions.

Rebekah found me soon after and spent over a month convincing me that Caroline had been real. After days locked up in a torture chamber- something I assumed Rebekah had enjoyed because she had recently been undaggered- I was finally convinced that Caroline had been real.

When I began sleeping again, I began seeing her again.

Thinking about her became a daily routine again, and I longed for the day where I could see her.

Whenever I saw a head of blonde hair bobbing through the crowd, or whenever I heard the sound of tinkling laughter, I would follow to see if it was Caroline.

But it never was.

The girl with blonde hair paled in comparison to her, and the sound of laughter was never quite right.

Now, I sat on a bench, watching as the people came and went.

Over nine hundred years waiting, and no sign of Caroline.

She had disappeared from my dreams around twenty years ago, leaving me in the dark once again, just like she had done the day she had left me in the cabin.

I watched as some students from the local college walked down the street, a mother pushed a stroller in the nearby park, a man got into his car.

I had been back in this small town for about a week now. It was quaint and quiet, a place I often went to to get away from the world.

I leaned back and spread my arms out over the back of the bench, resting my ankle on my knee.

From the corner of my eye I caught a streak of blonde hair. I looked to the side as the head bobbed down the sidewalk, the person's face covered by a hedge.

I shook my head- it probably wasn't hers.

A laugh rang through the air, the tinkling sound echoed in my ears.

I looked back at the head of blonde hair as it continued to move down the sidewalk, closer and closer to the corner of the street where they would have to turn.

I listened closer and tried to make out the voice of the mystery person. But before I could figure it out, the person rounded the corner and started walking towards me.

Her skin glowed in the sunlight, her smile shone, her eyes sparkled and her golden curls created a halo around her face.

She laughed, switching the phone she was holding to her left ear to her other ear and adjusting her hold on a stack of books she carried in her hand.

I was frozen, staring at the woman who had been haunting me for over nine hundred years.

Her hair was shorter, just a few inches below her shoulders. She wore a white dress which left her shoulders exposed and came down just above her knee, leaving her creamy legs out for everyone to see.

She was an angel.

I quickly got up from the bench and began walking toward her at vampire speed before bumping into her.

Not the smoothest move, but it got the desired effect.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" She said apologetically, her hands reaching out to steady me, even though she didn't need to. The gesture brought us closer and when she looked into my eyes, I had to swallow and remind myself that it wasn't the appropriate moment to have my way with her.

"It was entirely my fault, sweetheart" I said, smirking down at her. She had a dazed look in her eyes as she stared up at me. She shook her head quickly and took her hands off of me.

"Sorry" She said nervously before bending down to pick up the books she had dropped.

I frowned, bending down to help her, picking up a french textbook and handing it to her as we stood up.

"Thank you" She said with a smile.

"I'm Klaus" I said, holding my hand out to her. She shifted her books and dropped her phone in her purse.

"Caroline" She said as she slipped her hand into mine. I took the opportunity to bend down and kiss her knuckles. I felt her breath hitch as I did and I smiled triumphantly. She cleared her throat "I've never seen you around here" She said.

"I visit every once in awhile. I would have come around sooner if I knew such a beautiful woman had joined the community" I said and she flushed instantly.

"I just moved here a few months ago" She said, tucking her hair behind her ear "College" She added, tapping her books.

It was quiet for a moment as I watched her. She bit her lip and looked around- I was making her uncomfortable. I smirked at the idea.

"Well, I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Klaus" She said with a smile as she began walking around me. I reached out and grabbed her elbow before she could get away.

"I'd like to see you again, Caroline" I said cooly, trying not to sound desperate.

She looked down at my hand and when she looked back up, all traces of the shy Caroline were gone. She smiled.

"Well, this is a small town" She said coyly and I enjoyed the change in her. She was exactly like Caroline from the past- shy at first, but fiery when you got too close.

"I meant that I would like to take you out" I said with a chuckle, easing into the banter. She quirked a brow and looked at me quizzically before sliding out of my grasp.

"Let me think about it" She said as she began walking away "I'll see you around, Klaus" She said over her shoulder.

I watched as she walked, letting my gaze run up her long legs, up to her hips as they swung from side to side.

"Bet on it, love" I said and listened as she let out a giggle.

This new, modern Caroline may not remember me, but she was still the same.

Well, almost the same- she was a vampire now.

* * *

I saw him again as I came down the same sidewalk a few days later.

He was on one of the park benches along the sidewalk and I saw him as soon as I rounded the corner. I quickly looked him over- he wore a white shirt and a black jacket, dark grey jeans and combat boots.

I held back a groan- he was beyond hot.

I shook out my curls and flattened my skirt, holding my head up and walking over confidently.

Wait, how would I approach him? Should I approach him? Maybe I should turn around.

I was looking down at the ground now as I thought about what to do next when I bumped into someone.

"I'm-" I started but I looked up and was caught in Klaus's gaze once again "...sorry" I said and he smirked."We've got to stop meeting like this" I laughed and took a small step away from him. I hadn't noticed he had a hold on my waist.

"I agree" He nodded "Next time we see each other it should be on a date" He said confidently.

"Really?" I said, challenging him. I wasn't going to give in that easy, but his smile was irresistible.

Stupid heightened vampire senses.

"Yes, how about tomorrow night" He said, making the question seem more like a statement. I looked into his eyes and saw the confidence, but also the hope.

His eyes were like two deep blue pools filled with emotion. I got lost in them, and he seemed to be lost in mine.

"I don't even know you" I whispered, more to myself than to him.

"Just take a chance, Caroline" He said, his eyes darting over my face. I shook my head, breaking out of the momentary trance and easing into a smile.

"Just know that I am too smart to be seduced by you" I said, poking him lightly in the chest.

He laughed and we began to step away from each other.

"I'll pick you up at 7" He said.

"See you then" I nodded, turning and walking away for the second time that week.

* * *

I don't think I had ever been so nervous in my life.

No, that was a lie- going back to school as a vampire had been nerve racking enough. But this came in as a close second.

I looked at my phone to see that it was five o'clock already. I had done a pretty good job at not obsessing over the fact that I had a date with a hot british guy, but it was hard not to think about it.

The few times we had seen each other it had been intense. The way he looked at me and the way he talked made me feel like we had met before. But I would have remembered meeting someone as intense as him.

And those dimples.

I shook my head and got up from the couch, turning off the television and making my way to the bathroom.

I had woken up and gone to class, but since it was Friday I only had a morning class today. I spent the rest of the day cleaning my apartment- which consisted of a small kitchen, a living room, my bedroom and the bathroom.

It had taken up about three hours of my day so when I finished I sat down to watch some Netflix which killed enough time.

I stripped down and got into the shower, turning on the water and started lathering my hair with some strawberry scented shampoo.

My apartment wasn't much, but it was better than being back at home.

Leaving Mystic Falls was one of the best decisions of my life. After becoming a vampire, I realized that there wasn't much there for me anyways. I had planned to graduate high school and then work as an intern in the Mayor's office, all the while accumulating funds so that I could open up my own event planning business.

But now I could do anything- I could go to school and study whatever I wanted because if I didn't like it I still had eternity to choose. Having blood cravings and heightened emotions was a small price to pay for having the world at my fingertips.

And after three years of being eternally seventeen, things got a little easier.

I turned the water off when I finished and grabbed my towel. I padded across the apartment and began the task of looking for something to wear.

I had distracted myself long enough, now I had to focus.

I sifted through my closet and picked out my favorite clothes. Klaus hadn't really told me where we were going, but he just didn't seem like the "dinner and a movie" type of guy.

I sighed, looking at my outfit choices.

After half an hour, I finally decided on a black lace dress that came down to just above my knee. It had sleeves that went down to just below my elbow and the back dipped to expose a nice bit of skin. I picked out a pair of red stilettos and a matching clutch to go along with it.

Satisfied with my choice, I sat down in front of my mirror and began blow drying my hair. When it was all dry, I curled it, making the curls tight enough to be elegant, but soft enough so that they accentuated my facial features.

I started on my make-up, not going for anything too dramatic because the dress and heels were already dramatic enough. A light smokey eye and lipstick one shade darker than my skintone was enough.

When I was finished, it was already six thirty. I slid into my dress and pulled on my heels, shaking out my curls and checking my make-up one last time before grabbing my clutch and leaving the apartment.

I walked down the sidewalk, taking my time.

As I did, I remembered some of my past dates. I had been dating since I was fifteen, but I don't remember ever having a serious relationship. My longest relationship was probably three months, and it hadn't been all that exciting.

I never really seemed to connect with anyone enough to see them on more than one date.

I rounded the corner and made my way to the bench where I had seen Klaus sitting yesterday. He wasn't there, and when I checked my watch it was still five minutes to seven.

I sat down and crossed my legs, watching the people walking through the park and some of the teenagers that were just getting out of class.

Technically I was only twenty, but the things I had seen in the past couple of years had aged me mentally.

I started to get nervous again. He would be here any minute. Would he even come? I mean who just asks out a random stranger? He probably wouldn't come. Relax, it's hardly even seven.

Just as my thoughts started to get away from me, I black BMW came down the street, stopping right in front of me. The driver side door opened and out came Klaus.

I bit my lip to keep my jaw from dropping to the ground- he was gorgeous. Well, I already knew that but I had never seen him in a black button down shirt and dress pants. His sleeves were rolled up to give me a perfect view of his tanned forearms and he had a couple of buttons undone at the top, revealing his many necklaces.

He smiled as he came around the car to stand in front of me. I stood as he did, giving him a small smile in return.

"Good evening, Caroline" He said- no, more like purred. He held out his hand and I slipped mine into his. He bent down and placed his lips on my knuckles, lingering longer than he had before. "You look absolutely ravishing"

"Thank you" I said, feeling my smile getting bigger "You look..." I tried to come up with the appropriate word, giving him a once over as I did so "Handsome" I said finally. Yes, he did look handsome.

"Really?" He smirked, cocking a brow as he led me to his car, opening the passenger door for me.

"Hm" I said with a shrug, knowing that it was a flirty move. He laughed and went around to the driver's side.

After a while of driving, I realized we weren't staying in town.

"Where are we going?" I asked, already feeling comfortable around him.

"There's a small Italian restaurant a few miles outside of town. Is that alright?" He asked, looking over at me momentarily.

"That's fine" I smiled, looking back out the window. That was more than fine- that was perfect.

Back in Mystic Falls, the only place where teenagers would go out on dates was the Grill, and it got boring after a couple of times. You could always go watch a movie, but there were never any good movies playing. Your other options were the town events that were hosted, like, every other month or the school dances.

Some couples went out to Richmond, but I had never actually gone out to Richmond on a date. No guy had ever tried to take me out there, really.

This had never bothered me- up until now. I had just met Klaus and he was already nicer than most guys I had gone out with.

We didn't talk to each other on the way there, but it was a comfortable silence. He drove as I looked out the window, watching the passing countryside. I tapped my fingers along to the music he had playing, the artists ranging from Bon Jovi to Kings of Leon.

After about half an hour he pulled up into the driveway of the restaurant, coming around to my side and helping me out. He handed his keys to the valet and slipped his arm around the small of my back as we entered the restaurant.

"Reservation for Mikaelson" He said to the hostess and she led us to a booth.

"Are these seats to your liking Mr. Mikaelson?" The hostess asked, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder and giving Klaus a flirty smile.

"Yes, thank you" He said while helping me into my seat. He gave her a tight lipped smile and sat down, picking up his menu. I held back a laugh as she practically swooned.

"Let me know if you need anything else" She said, batting her lashes and turning to return to her post, swing her hips from side to side, but Klaus didn't even look her way.

"Wow" I said as I looked over my menu.

"What is it?" He asked and I looked up at him. He looked at me carefully and I let out a chuckle.

"I almost thought I had lost my date there" I said with a smile, teasing him.

"No one can take me away from you, sweetheart" He smirked and I swallowed. I was good at being coy, but he was much better. I cleared my throat.

"So your whole name is Klaus Mikaelson" I stated conversationally.

"Actually, it's Niklaus Mikaelson" He said.

"Niklaus Mikaelson? That's a mouthful" I said, still looking over my menu.

"Indeed it is" He said suggestively and I looked up at him, catching my mistake. Oh god. I pursed my lips, looking back down at my menu. Thank goodness that the lighting in the restaurant was dim or else he would have seen my face turning fifty shades of red.

"Good evening my name is Dean and I will be your waiter for this evening. Can I get you anything to drink?" I looked up at our waiter, and he was looking at me. I looked at Klaus who was also looking at Dean, but Dean wasn't looking at him.

I kept my eyes on Klaus, not at all interested in our waiter. He was cute, but my date was better.

"We'll have a bottle of Villa Raiano Fiano di Avellino" Klaus said and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed with his choice.

Back in Mystic Falls, I used to hang out a lot with a guy named Stefan Salvatore- mostly because at one point I dated his brother. But the Salvatore family had rich Italian roots and I was able to pick up a few things.

"Anything else?" Our waiter said, bringing my attention back. He was looking straight at me again.

"No, thank you" I said politely, not really looking at him. He left then, leaving Klaus and I alone again.

"So, how is college treating you?" Klaus asked and I closed my menu, giving him my full attention.

"Great actually. I think I'm kind of weird because I actually like going to school. I don't know, I just like learning new things" I rambled, feeling kind of nervous again.

"What's your major?" He asked, seemingly interested.

"Foreign languages" I said proudly, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise "I know it's not common but I really like languages and learning about the cultures of all the different countries"

"That's very interesting. Have you been anywhere?"

"No, but I'd like to" I said.

"I could take you. Paris, Rome... Tokyo" I laughed at the last part.

"Let's get past our first date first" I said just as our waiter returned with our bottle of Villa Raiano Fiano di Avellino. He poured us each a glass and then set the bottle down in the cooler.

"May I take your order, miss?" He asked me.

"I'll have the Mushroom Risotto" I said, handing him my menu.

"Scelta molto buona, signora" He said with a smile- and a terrible accent.

"Grazie" I said, politely returning the smile.

"And you, sir" He turned to Klaus, the smile slipping from his lips.

"I'll have the same" He said, handing him his menu as well. The waiter nodded and walked away.

"Mushroom Risotto goes very well with Villa Raiano Fiano di Avellino" I said, taking a sip from my glass. I hadn't had a chance to try it yet because we had been talking so much, and it was very good.

"Yes, I agree. How did you know?" He asked.

"I had a friend who was an italian food fanatic" I said with a laugh.

We eased into a steady stream of conversation, talking about my hometown and some of his travels. He had been to a lot of places and I was about to ask how old he was, but that would be rude.

"Is there anywhere you haven't been?" I said as I ate my chocolate gelato. Klaus had passed on dessert but he insisted on me having some after he saw my face when a waiter passed by us with a tray filled with ice cream.

He thought for a moment.

"No" He said and I laughed. He laughed, too.

"Would you excuse me for a moment?" I said when I finished my gelato. I stood and grabbed my clutch. He stood as well.

"Sure" He said and I smiled, turning to find the ladies room. As I walked I remembered the hostess as she walked away, swinging her hips. I bit back a smile because I could feel Klaus's eyes on me.

I went to the ladies room and checked my makeup and hair.

What now? Would he drive me home? Should I invite him in if he did?

"Ugh" I said as I washed my hands, drying them off.

I checked my dress and hair and makeup again and walked out of the ladies room.

Klaus stood by our table.

"Ready to go, sweetheart?" He asked and I nodded, letting him wrap his arm around the small of my back. I felt comfortable immediately.

As we walked out of the restaurant we passed by Dean and he threw a flirty smile my way. I pursed my lips and looked at Klaus who had seen everything.

"I haven't lost my date, have I?" He asked with a smirk and I smiled, wrapping my arm around him.

"He's not the one I'm leaving with, now is he?" I smirked. He looked down at me surprised, but I didn't miss the lustful look he gave me. I bit my lip and looked down.

The valet pulled up with his car and he helped me into the passenger's side before slipping into his seat. He was always such a gentleman.

"There's one more place I would like to take you" He said as we pulled out onto the road.

"And where is that?" I asked.

"It's a surprise" He said with a smile, showing off those dimples. I couldn't help but smile every time that he smiled.

"Alright" I laughed just as a new song came on the radio. "Oh, would you mind?" I asked, motioning to the volume.

"Have at it, love" He said and I turned it up a little. In My Place by Coldplay had always been one of my favorite songs. I hummed along to the lyrics and bobbed my head to the soft beat as I looked out the window. As the song came to an end I looked at Klaus who had an amused look on his face.

"What?"

"You are adorable" He said and I laughed lightly, hiding my blush behind a curtain of blonde hair.

We spent the rest of the car ride talking about random topics like our childhoods. Well, more like I rambled and he listened.

We finally pulled up to the driveway of the most amazing mansion I had ever seen. Well, one of the only mansions I had ever seen besides the mayor's mansion back in Mystic Falls.

Klaus opened my door and held out his hand to help me out.

"Wow" I said, looking up the the columns and white exterior. "You live here?" I looked over at him.

"Yes. I come back here every once in a while to visit the town. It's a peaceful place" He said, opening the door to reveal the marble floors and a grand staircase.

He lead me through the mansion to the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of wine. He grabbed two glasses out of a cabinet.

"Follow me" He said.

"This is my surprise?" I asked.

"I actually wanted to show you the garden. It looks quite beautiful at night" He said as we walked. I smiled up at him.

As we walked, I looked around the house, taking in everything I saw. We passed by a room and the door was open. The lights were on and there was a huge painting hung up on the far wall, multiple spotlights on it.

"Woah" I said, stopping to look in the room. He stopped, too. I looked in and saw that there were other paintings hung up.

"Would you like to go in?" I heard Klaus say and I nodded absently, walking in and looking around. For some reason, I was drawn to the room.

Everything was so beautiful, words couldn't even describe it.

"Do you collect these?" I asked, looking at one wall which had multiple landscapes on them, others were of objects, others were more impressionistic or abstract.

"I paint them" He said and I turned to look at him.

"No way!" I couldn't contain my surprise- they were beautiful!

"Yes way" He said with a chuckle, pouring some wine into both glasses and handing one to me. I walked around, aware that he was walking a little behind me. I sipped at my wine, commenting on some of them.

"What's this?" I asked as I reached a wall that was partially covered with a velvet curtain.

"That is my personal collection" He said.

"Can I see it?" I asked, too curious to care that I was stepping over a boundary. He made a gesture that I took as 'go ahead'. I stepped forward and moved aside the curtain.

There were a bunch of frames up, all of them had pages of parchment on them. When I looked closer, they seemed to be more like sketches than paintings.

All of them were of a girl with long curly hair. I looked closer, gasping and dropping my glass.

All the memories hit me- Klaus in the woods, the werewolf camp, Bonnie, Elena, Tyler, the Council.

I took a step back, dazed. I hit something hard and felt my knees buckle under me.

"Caroline, are you alright?" Klaus said as he held onto me. His fingers came up and moved my chin so that I was looking right at him.

It took me a second to respond.

"Nik?" I asked, running my hand down his cheek. His eyes grew wide and he leaned into my touch.

"Sweetheart" He said, pulling me closer and pressing his lips to mine. I moaned, missing his touch and the feel of his lips. He pulled away after a while "Where have you been?" He asked.

"I've been by your side the entire time" I whispered, running my fingertips over his face.

"What do you mean?" He asked, pulling away with an adorably confused look on his face.

"When I died all those years ago, my body disappeared but my spirit remained. I was stuck in a sort of limbo" I said "Since my soul was tied to yours, I was able to see you and be by you the entire time"

"So, you were in my dreams?"

"Yes, that was me" I smiled, remembering the couple of hours I got with him everyday.

He stayed quiet, lost in thought and taking it all in while I continued to trace his features.

"I'm sorry" He said, looking into my eyes.

"I know" I said softly "I wasn't only able to see you, I was able to feel what you felt as well" I knew he was referring to the twenty-four years in which he had thought I had only been a figment of his imagination.

He leaned in and kissed me again, not as forceful as the first time, but just as passionate.

"Never leave me again" He pleaded, but there was a certain command to his voice. I smiled, adjusting myself so that I could wrap my arms around his neck, weaving my fingers through his sandy curls.

"Never"

* * *

**Woohoo!**

**Wow I can't believe I actually finished a story! (Fun Fact: I've never finished a story)**

**It has been such an amazing experience to be able to write this story and I appreciate those of you who followed me through the journey!**

**It feels so weird to actually be done. Wow.**

**So, I'll be gone for a little bit. I'll be putting up my "surprise" for you guys tomorrow or Monday (****Oh and the surprise has nothing to do with this story so just keep a look out for something I publish) ****and then I'll disappear for a little while so that I can get a head start on my next few stories.**

**What are they about, you might ask?**

_**WELL YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT ON MY NEW WEBSITE! THE LINK IS IN MY BIO!**_

**Ahhh! I know! I'll keep you guys updated through there (I have a blog) and I'll be back here soon :)**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: I did a double update today, so the next chapter is the "Ending Credits". Feel free to check that out :)**


	20. Ending Credits

**Ending Credits**

**Reviews: FanFiction Members**

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I'd like to give a special thank you to Aaaammber and DreamsBeatReality for reviewing and sticking with this story from the very beginning, and KatieDesignerShades for leaving some really phenomenal reviews!

I also really appreciate those of you who took the time to review more than once!

Again, you guys are all amazing :)

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Thank you to all the guests who took the time to review (these are all of those who left names). I'd like to give a big thank you to the guest SONY who took the time to leave a lot of reviews!

Thank you :)

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Thank you to all of you who followed this story! It really meant a lot to me that so many of you were interested enough to follow! You are all great :)

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A really big thank you goes out to all of you who favorited! It really made me super happy to see that people considered this story one of their favorites!

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Finally, I would like to thank KlarolineDreamGirl for making _We Are the Same_ part of her "KLAROLINE all the way...!" community! It has been an honor :)

* * *

_**Check out my website for updates on upcoming stories and pictures to go with them! The link is in my bio :)**_


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